Edmonds man the 1st to die in fall flu season in Snohomish County

Influenza cases are rising earlier than normal in Snohomish County, and the Health Department has already recorded the county’s first flu-related death this fall.

“Flu season has arrived early this year in Snohomish County and the Seattle area,” said Health Officer Dr. James Lewis in a news release.  “We encourage residents to get their flu shots as soon as possible to help protect against serious illness and death.”

The first flu-related fatality occurred Oct. 3 and was an Edmonds man in his 70s with underlying health conditions. The man tested positive for influenza A, the most common and severe type of flu.

Last week, Snohomish County hospitals admitted 31 people with influenza. Since Aug. 30, there have been 63 influenza-related hospitalizations.

“We are at levels typically seen in early December, which may be a sign of an earlier-than-normal peak season,” said Hollianne Bruce, the Health Department’s lead epidemiologist. (See the department’s respiratory illness dashboard and scroll down to influenza surveillance dashboard for more details on the trends.)

Flu season typically runs from October through April, peaking in the winter months. But influenza viruses can circulate year-round.

Influenza can result in severe illness, especially for young children, older adults, and others at high risk, such as those with underlying health conditions.

Typical symptoms include fever with or without chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headache, fatigue, and occasional vomiting or diarrhea. People are contagious one day before illness onset (before they feel ill) through the course of their illness.

To help prevent the spread of flu, stay home if you are ill, wear a mask over your nose and mouth in indoor public spaces when flu is circulating at high rates, cover your coughs and sneezes, and wash your hands thoroughly.

It’s a good idea to get vaccinated at least one to two weeks before a family or other gathering, as the body needs time to build immunity and protect you.

The vaccine has been shown to reduce sick days at work and school, reduce symptom severity, and reduce flu-related hospitalizations.

Overall, the county recorded 24 influenza-related deaths, including one pediatric death, and 606 flu-related hospitalizations during the 2025-26 season. During the 2024-25 season, Snohomish County reported 53 flu-related deaths – the highest number of flu-related fatalities in the last decade – and 859 hospitalizations.

The earliest flu-related deaths in the previous three years occurred in November.

Overall flu levels remain low, accounting for 1.7% of all Emergency Department visits, but are above the state Department of Health’s 1.4% threshold for elevated community transmission.

Note: The annual flu-reporting season typically runs from early October through late September. This year it ended Oct. 3. Because the Edmonds man who died contracted the illness during the 2025-26 season, his death has been included as part of the 2025-26 season and will not show up in 2026-27 data.

For practical purposes, it is the first local death of this early flu season.