Flu kills 8 more Iowans

Eight more Iowans have died from the flu, bringing the total count of flu-related deaths to 14 since October 2017, according to the Iowa Department of Health.

The ages ranged from 61 to 81 and older, Public Health officials said, including six women. Five of the deaths occurred in central Iowa, two in southwest Iowa and one in eastern Iowa.

Five of the eight people who died had underlying health conditions, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

The predominant flu strain this season is AH3N2, which typically causes serious illnesses, hospitalizations and even death, particularly for those who are very young or old and those with weakened immune systems, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

The average age of Iowans killed by the flu is 85.

The flu is a respiratory ailment marked by fever, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose and body aches, the department said. It is not the same as the “stomach flu,” a different type of viral illness that causes diarrhea and vomiting.

Illness typically lasts two to seven days and often puts healthy people in bed for days, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

It often takes several weeks between a death and when the cause is confirmed and recorded by the state. Last season, the state recorded 135 flu-related deaths.