Report: Flu this year could be big killer

The flu may have killed a 17-year-old girl in Kotlik last week, according to the state's preliminary autopsy report.

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The teen, whose name was not released, had been sick with a suspected respiratory viral illness for about a week before her death, the state Division of Public Health said.

Kotlik is a village of about 630 people in the Yukon-Kuskokwin Delta, about 165 miles northwest of Bethel.

The state medical examiner's office is working to rule out other potential causes of death, and attempting to confirm that the woman had influenza, the state said.

"Influenza testing on a deceased person is different from testing on a live person," said Dr. Franc Fallico, the acting state medical examiner.

"The virus cultures may not be viable and we may not ever know for sure if this individual had the flu or not. Right now we are also testing to exclude other possible causes, but because we know the individual was sick with a respiratory viral illness prior to death, it is possible that influenza is the cause," he said.

Alaska has experienced at least three influenza-related deaths each year for the past 10 years, state officials said. There were 183 confirmed cases of flu in Alaska as of Friday, which probably doesn't include all the cases that have occurred, they said.

Areas hard hit include Anchorage, Ketchikan, which reported 12 cases, and Kodiak Island, where schools reported unusually high absentee rates.

But it is too early to tell if the state will experience higher than normal numbers of confirmed flu cases this season, health officials said.

Influenza is a virus, and occurs in the late fall and winter in the United States. There are three types of influenza viruses (A, B, and C). Influenza types A and B cause respiratory illnesses. Illness will usually begin very suddenly one to five days after exposure and commonly lasts for two to seven days. Symptoms usually include fever, cough, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue.

Influenza is spread from an ill person to other people by coughing and sneezing. Precautions against getting the flu include frequently washing your hands, covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, and avoiding touching your nose, eyes, and mouth.

Persons at highest risk for severe illness are the elderly, the very young, and those with chronic medical problems such as heart or lung conditions, diabetes, or trouble with their immune system, health officials said.