The flu has killed a child in Maryland for the first time this season, health officials said Tuesday. In a news release, the Maryland Department of Health confirmed the first influenza-related pediatric death of the 2017-2018 season. The death comes during a particularly challenging flu season nationwide, with the disease causing the deaths of dozens of children. A spokeswoman for the Maryland Department of Health said it could not release any details about the victim, including age, gender or location. “Influenza is an extremely serious, and sometimes deadly, disease, and this flu season has been proven to be particularly severe,” Howard Haft, deputy secretary for Public Health Services, said in a statement.

Source: Washington Post February 06, 2018 21:56 UTC