A total of 23 people have died from influenza-associated causes during the 2018-2019 flu season in the state of Jalisco.
Eighteen of the victims suffered from an additional illness of some kind, according to the Jalisco Health Department (SSJ or Salud Jalisco). All were residents of the state. None of the deceased had received a flu shot, Salud Jalisco said.
There are 132 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza this season,the SSJ says, although the full number is certainly higher since the figures only cover cases involving patients who have been hospitalized. Fifty-four percent of the cases are women.
Jalisco places 19th out of 32 states in the number of cases, and 10th in fatalities. Confirmed flu cases nationally total more than 5,000.
The most common flu strain encountered this season has been AH1N1 – in around 80 percent of cases.
The 23 deaths in the first 22 weeks of the flu season represent the highest amount since 2014, when 90 people died from flu-related causes during the same period. The total of fatalities reported in the state during the past five years is 185.