Fresno County reports first flu death of 2025-26 season

Fresno County health officials confirmed the county’s first influenza-associated death of the 2025-26 season, a grim marker that flu is already causing severe illness in the Valley. The person who died was not publicly identified.

The county said it learned of the death from a local hospital about a week before the public announcement. Fresno County health educator Leticia Berber said the person had influenza A and described Type A as more aggressive, saying, “Type A is a more aggressive. It targets your lung directly.” Berber also said both subtype A and subtype B viruses were circulating.

That matters most for older adults, young children, pregnant residents and people with chronic conditions, who face a higher risk of complications from influenza. Public health officials also point to symptoms that should prompt urgent care: fever, a persistent cough, chest pain or shortness of breath. In Fresno, Clovis, Sanger, Reedley, Selma and Kingsburg, families are being pushed to treat flu as more than a seasonal nuisance, especially when breathing problems develop.

The timing fits the usual seasonal pattern. The California Department of Public Health says flu and RSV activity typically rise in the fall and peak during winter, and it has continued to tell counties to report pediatric influenza and RSV fatalities as usual in the 2025-26 season. State guidance also recommends annual flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older.

California has already been dealing with an active early flu season. Statewide tracking showed 247 influenza-associated deaths among Californians ages 18 to 64 as of Jan. 3, underscoring that the virus was already producing serious outcomes well before Fresno County’s first death was confirmed. State health officials have also flagged H3N2 subclade K as a notable evolution behind many California cases.

For Fresno County, the death is both a surveillance marker and a reminder to move fast on prevention. Vaccination remains the clearest protection available to families heading through the winter virus season, and county monitoring will keep watching for more severe cases as subtype A and subtype B continue to spread.