A woman from central Iowa has died due to complications from influenza. The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced on Dec. 19 that this is the first reported influenza-related death in the state during the 2016-2017 flu season.

Graphic representation of an influenza flu virus.

IDPH and the State Hygienic Laboratory – with the participation of the Iowa Influenza Surveillance Network and other health care providers -- monitor influenza activity in Iowa. The network tracks when and where influenza viruses are circulating in Iowa, and identifies the strains circulating in communities.

This information helps match positive cases with current vaccine and is used as part of a CDC system to determine which virus protection will be included in the next season's vaccine. The Hygienic Laboratory and IDPH are part of this network.

The most commonly detected strain this season in Iowa is influenza A (H3N2). CDC has characterized 34 influenza viruses identified across the U.S., and found that all the strains matched one of the four influenza strains in this year’s influenza vaccine. Thus far, the laboratory-confirmed positives in Iowa that have been antigenically characterized by CDC were found to match the current vaccine.

Weekly updates on the current influenza season are available from CDC and IDPH.