The number of seasonal influenza deaths this winter season in California is now nearly double that of last year, state health officials said Friday, with a Lake County resident among the newly confirmed fatal flu cases.

Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and state health officer, announced the number of confirmed influenza related deaths in the state has increased by 56 to a total of 202 confirmed deaths for the season. Four of the 202 are pediatric deaths.

There are an additional 41 deaths under investigation, not yet confirmed, according to Chapman.

Amongst the latest deaths to be confirmed as flu-related was one death in Lake County, Chapman's office reported.

Additional information about the local person who died was not released by CDPH. However, information from the agency's reports indicated the Lake County flu victim was not among the pediatric victims, and was an adult under age 65.

The 202 confirmed influenza-associated deaths this season have been reported by the following jurisdictions: Alameda (5), Contra Costa (5), El Dorado (2), Fresno (15), Glenn (1), Humboldt (1), Imperial (1), Kern (8), Kings (3), Lake (1), Lassen (1), Long Beach (3), Los Angeles (26), Madera (2), Marin (2), Mendocino (2), Merced (4), Monterey (2), Nevada (1), Orange (8), Riverside (6), Sacramento (21), San Bernardino (15), San Diego (17), San Francisco (3), San Joaquin (6), San Luis Obispo (1), San Mateo (4), Santa Barbara (2), Santa Clara (10), Santa Cruz (1), Shasta (1), Siskiyou (2), Solano (1), Sonoma (4), Stanislaus (12), Tulare (1), Tuolumne (1) and Ventura (1).

The total number of deaths reported for the entire 2012-13 influenza season was 106.

Those at highest risk – the elderly, pregnant women, infants, or those with other health conditions – who show flu symptoms should contact their physician immediately in order to get the most effective treatment.

Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue.

Throughout the flu system state and local health officials have continued to urge people to be vaccinated in an effort to stop the spread of flu and keep themselves safe. There is no widespread shortage of antivirals for treatment.

For information on local flu vaccinations, call Lake County Public Health at 800-794-9291 or 707-263-1090, or visit the agency online at http://health.co.lake.ca.us/ .