Indiana logs first flu death as Norton Healthcare sees 2,243 cases

The Indiana Department of Health confirmed the state's first flu-related death of the season on Thursday. The agency did not specify the location of the death or share patient details due to privacy regulations. This confirmation arrives as health systems in the region report a sharp rise in influenza cases.

Norton Healthcare, which serves Metro Louisville and southern Indiana, stated that flu cases within its system increased by more than 60% from last week to this week. The data shows the largest surge is occurring among children. When comparing the period from the start of September to the end of October with the same timeframe last year, the difference is stark. Last year, the system recorded 351 reported flu cases during those two months. This year, the total has reached the thousands, peaking at 2,243 cases.

Dr. Daniel Blatt, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Norton Children’s, noted that it is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of the surge. He explained that the virus changes annually, along with population epidemiology and vaccination rates. “Every year with the flu is really different because the virus changes every year,” Blatt said. “The epidemiology of the population changes, the number of people who get vaccines changes, so it’s difficult to know why.”

Blatt warned that the flu is often dismissed because it is a common illness, but it remains a dangerous disease. Doctors recommend three steps to limit spread: washing hands with warm, soapy water; covering coughs and sneezes with an arm or tissue; and staying home from school or work when sick.