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A fifth child dies of flu in Massachusetts, adult deaths up to 107 this season, according to state health officials – The Boston Globe

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A fifth child dies of flu in Massachusetts, adult deaths up to 107 this season, according to state health officials – The Boston Globe


No information about any of the children, their hometowns or health history has been released by the state.

State health officials could not be reached for comment Friday night.

At least two of the children were younger than 2 and were in Boston, the city’s Public Health Commission said. They are the first reported flu deaths in children in Boston since 2013, officials said.

Adult deaths from influenza are up to 107, according to the health department’s weekly influenza update. Forty-five adults died during the week from Dec. 28 to Jan. 3, the dashboard shows.

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National health officials say 32 children have died from from flu so far this year and estimate there have been 9,300 adult deaths.

The flu season nationally appears to be waning with two straight weeks of decline in measures of flu activity, according to the latest government data released Friday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted data — for flu activity through last week — that showed a big drop in flu hospitalizations and a smaller but significant decrease in medical office visits due to flu-like illness.

CDC officials are calling the current respiratory virus season “moderate.” But that doesn’t mean the season is over, especially for flu. Second surges in flu activity often occur after the winter holidays.

There were 470 flu-related deaths in Massachusetts during the 2024-25 flu season, up from 251 in 2023-24, according to DPH.

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The flu season typically spans from October through May, but the first flu-related death in Massachusetts this year was reported in August, data shows.

This year’s children’s deaths underscore the severity of this season’s influenza outbreak, public health officials said.

In November, state health officials warned of “rising flu activity and the potential for a significant surge” this season and have urged people to get vaccinated.

Medical experts have worried about this season because it has been dominated by a kind of flu virus, called A H3N2, that historically causes the most hospitalizations and deaths in older people.

Even more concerning, about 90% of the H3N2 infections analyzed this season were a new strain that differs from the version accounted for in this year’s flu shots.

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In Boston, hospitalizations almost tripled and confirmed flu cases increased by 126 percent during the week of Dec. 14 to Dec. 27, city health officials said.

Nationwide, there have been at least 18 million flu illnesses and 230,000 hospitalizations reported, according to the CDC.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.


Tonya Alanez can be reached at tonya.alanez@globe.com. Follow her @talanez.





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Massachusetts

School closings and delays for Massachusetts on Friday, March 6

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School closings and delays for Massachusetts on Friday, March 6


Several school districts in Massachusetts have delayed the start of classes for Friday, March 6 because of a mix of sleet, freezing rain and snow.

Take a look below for the full list of school closings and delays.

The list displays all public schools in alphabetical order, followed by private schools and then colleges and universities.

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Delays on this page are current as of

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Massachusetts

Body part found in Shirley, Massachusetts pond, police suspect foul play

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Body part found in Shirley, Massachusetts pond, police suspect foul play



A body part was found in a pond in Shirley, Massachusetts and investigators said foul play is suspected.

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It was discovered around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday as a group of people were walking along Veterans Memorial Bridge on Shaker Road.

Police said the group noticed something suspicious in the water of Phoenix Pond. The Middlesex District Attorney confirmed that the item was a body part, but would not elaborate.

Police shut down the road and divers could be seen exploring the pond late Wednesday. Authorities were back at the scene Thursday morning.

No other information is available at this point in the investigation.

Phoenix Pond connects to the Catacoonamug Brook, which flows into the Nashua River. It’s also connected to Lake Shirley.

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Shirley, Massachusetts is about 44 miles northwest of Boston and around 13 miles from the New Hampshire border. 



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Massachusetts

Foul play suspected after human remains found in water in Shirley

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Foul play suspected after human remains found in water in Shirley


Human remains were discovered Wednesday in the water in Shirley, Massachusetts, and authorities suspect foul play.

Police in Shirley said in a social media post at 7:15 p.m. that they responded to “a suspicious object in the water near the Maritime Veterans Memorial Bridge on Shaker Road.” Massachusetts State Police later said the object was believed to be human remains.

The bridge crosses Catacoonamug Brook near Phoenix Pond.

The office of Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said a group of young people was walking in the area around 5:30 p.m. and “reported seeing what appeared to be something consistent with a body part in the water.”

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Foul play is suspected, Ryan’s office said.

Authorities will continue investigating overnight into Thursday, and an increased police presence is expected in the area.

No further information was immediately available.



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