Health officials report NC's 1st flu death of the season

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina health officials say they’ve received the first report of a flu-related death of this season.

Officials with the state Department of Health and Human Services say an adult living in the central part of North Carolina died of flu-related causes in the first week of October. They released no other details about the person who died.

During the last flu season, 208 flu deaths were reported in North Carolina, down from 391 deaths during the 2017-18 flu season. Of those 208 deaths, 133 were people age 65 and older and five were under the age of 18.

In North Carolina, flu infections are most common from late fall to early spring with activity usually peaking in January or February.