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Iowa health officials: Child dies of flu

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March 2nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — State health officials are reporting that an Iowa child has died of the flu, and the news comes as experts declare that cases of the viral infection are waning. The Des Moines Register reports that state health officials disclosed the death Friday, saying the victim was the first child to die from the disease in Iowa this winter. Officials did not reveal the child’s age, gender, residence in the state or the date of death, saying that information could disclose the child’s identity and violate privacy rules.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 81 children have died in the U.S. as of Feb. 23 since this flu season began last fall. That figure does not including Iowa’s death.