As flu spreads throughout North Texas, Denton County reports first 2 flu-related deaths

Updated on Jan. 11: Revised to include reported deaths in Denton County. 

Two Denton County residents have died from the flu, Denton County Public Health announced Thursday. The two victims, one child and one adult, are the first in the county this flu season.

Tarrant County Public Health reported three adult flu deaths late Tuesday, and five more deaths were reported in Dallas County on Wednesday, bringing the county's total to 23.

All the deaths in Tarrant County involved people 55 and older with previous medical conditions. Their names and ages were not released.

The recent deaths in Dallas County were a 94-year-old, 93-year-old, 89-year-old, 71-year-old and 38-year-old. All were residents of Dallas with high-risk health conditions, according to Dallas County Health and Human Services. Further details about the victims were not released because of privacy concerns.

Adult flu deaths are not required to be reported to local health departments.

Tarrant County chief epidemiologist Russ Jones said Tuesday that adult deaths the health department learns about are probably an underestimation of the severity of the flu outbreak, because those reports are not required.

"It's safe to say that we are currently experiencing a flu outbreak, and these three voluntarily reported flu-related deaths reflect that," Jones said.

Twelve long-term care facilities in Tarrant County have had outbreaks of the flu, Jones said earlier this week.

Tarrant County has seen no pediatric flu deaths this season. Across Texas, there was one such death in November, the only one that has occurred this season.

Jones said this flu season mirrors that of 2013-14. There were 58 deaths recorded in Dallas County that season — 55 adults and three children.

During the last flu season, there were 17 adult flu deaths in Dallas County.

Parkland Memorial Hospital this week served a record number of flu patients, according to  KTVT-TV (Channel 11).

"We've had over 1,500 positive flu cases and 400 people admitted to the hospital for the flu," Dr. Joseph Chang, Associate Medical Chief for Parkland told the station.

On Monday, when 930 people visited the emergency room, the hospital set up a tent and turned waiting areas into exam rooms in addition to deploying a medical mobile unit to the hospital.

Earlier this week, the high number of patients with flu-like symptoms prompted Methodist Dallas Medical Center to  reroute  some of its ambulance patients so it could care for those in emergency situations.

Hospitals are urging anyone with non-emergent symptoms to visit an urgent care facility or primary-care physician.

Staff writers Claire Ballor and Tom Steele contributed to this report.

Do your part to prevent spreading the flu

• Get a flu shot.

• Cover your cough with a tissue or your sleeve.

• Don't go to work sick and don't drop off a sick child at a child care facility or school, where infections can spread quickly.

• Wash your hands often and keep your hands away from your face.

SOURCE: Dallas County Health and Human Services