Health agency confirms flu death in southern Ohio

COLUMBUS (AP) — A wave of flu illnesses has forced some Ohio schools to shut down over the past week — and one even asked parents if they could volunteer and to help disinfect the school while students were kept home.

The Ohio Department of Health confirmed the first flu-related pediatric death of the flu season, saying that a 15-year-old girl from Ironton in southern Ohio died on Nov. 29 after being admitted to a hospital.

Across the state, 456 people had been hospitalized with the flu this year compared with 135 cases at this time last year, the department said.

Schools in the Cleveland and Toledo areas have been closed over the past week because of the large number of flu illnesses.

In Toledo, Maritime Academy wasn’t holding any classes today and Wednesday while an elementary school was closed again today.

Most of the flu cases reported to the state health department were coming from northeastern Ohio.