5 more flu deaths reported in Clark County

The Southern Nevada Health District has reported five more flu deaths in Clark County, bringing the season total to 31.

From Feb. 9 to Feb. 15, five people were reported to have died from the flu virus, according to the health district’s website. The prior week only two deaths were reported.

Of the newly reported deaths, three were of people age 50 to 64, and two were of people over 65.

This season, there has been one death of a child under the age of 4, not two as previously reported by the district. An earlier report was based on preliminary information that has been revised, a health district spokeswoman said.

The number of reported deaths has more than doubled in the past four weeks. Before the last week of January there were 13 flu deaths.

There have been 1,178 reported hospitalizations from the flu, compared with 597 at this time last year.

Flu seasons in the U.S. tend to peak between December and February, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Contact Mary Hynes at mhynes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Follow @MaryHynes1 on Twitter.