A second Michigan child has died from flu complications this season, the state Department of Health and Human Services confirmed Tuesday.
The school-age child was from Alpena County, said Dr. Joshua Meyerson, medical director for District No. 4 Health Department, which includes Alpena, Montmorency, Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties.
“It’s very sad,” Meyerson said, noting that the child had a confirmed case of influenza A. “It is a reminder that influenza comes around every year, and every year we see healthy children and others who die from the flu. This is the second one reported in the state so far this season. We’ll have to continue to monitor that and hopefully we won’t see any more or too many more.”
The first flu-related pediatric death in a Michigan child this season was reported in mid-December. That child was from Osceola County and had contracted influenza A/H1N1.
News of a second childhood flu death in Michigan comes as influenza activity is on the rise. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported that it had elevated the level of flu activity in the state from regional to widespread on Friday.
“What it means is that at least half of the regions of the state have laboratory evidence of influenza,” said Lynn Sutfin, a spokeswoman for the MDHHS. “So, prior to this week, we were seeing it in the most populous areas, you know, the southeast Michigan area and the southwest.
“Now we are starting to see the flu show up in some of our more rural areas, northern Michigan, central Michigan.”