Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) was notified Friday, Jan. 3, of an influenza-related death in a Thurston County resident. To date, the Washington state Department of Health has reported five influenza-related deaths during the 2024-25 influenza season, and this is the first in the county.
PHSS encourages individuals who get sick with flu symptoms to stay home and avoid contact with others, except to get medical care. While most people with flu have mild illness and do not need medical care or antiviral medications, certain people are at increased risk of serious complications, including young children, people aged 65 and older, pregnant people, and people with certain medical conditions.
According to a news release, influenza-like illness activity is currently high in Washington state, with influenza A being the most common strain circulating.
There was one influenza-related death in Thurston County during the 2023-24 illness season out of six outbreaks, according to Thurston County’s influenza dashboard. The county uses reports from healthcare facilities, Washington Disease Reporting System, and death certificates to track deaths associated with a positive influenza lab test.
To see the county’s influenza data, visit the newly published influenza dashboard, which details emergency room visits, hospitalizations, outbreaks and deaths for the influenza respiratory illness season. This dashboard will be updated annually.
Residents can also monitor county respiratory illness trends at https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/public-health-and-social-services/disease-control-and-prevention/respiratory-illnesses.
