Young Child Latest to Die Because of Flu in Washington State

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A young child in Pierce County is the latest to die because of the flu.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department said Wednesday that the child was younger than 10 years old and had underlying factors. No other information about the child was released.

The child's death, reported to the agency Tuesday, adds to the number of flu-related deaths in the state.

The state Department of Health reported 46 deaths as of last Friday. Of those, 44 deaths occurred in people who were 50 or older. Two were between the ages of 25 and 49.

Officials say influenza infection numbers are extremely high in Washington, as they are in many states.