News Local/State

Indiana Flu Deaths Rise to 40

 

Indiana health officials say the state's flu-related deaths have grown to 40, with most of those victims over age 65.

The State Department of Health reported Wednesday that Indiana's death toll from the current flu season grew to 40, up from last week's 27 reported deaths.

The agency says 33 of Indiana's flu deaths have been among people over age 65. 

The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Thomas Frieden, said last week that the current flu season is "a bad one for the elderly.''

Thirty-eight of Indiana's flu deaths were among people with underlying medical conditions such as heart disease or diabetes.

State Health Commissioner William C. VanNess II says flu activity remains high "and we simply don't know if it has peaked yet.''