W.Va. teen dies of flu complications

CHARLESTON, W.Va., March 20 (UPI) -- A 15-year-old girl has died in South Charleston, W.Va., of complications from the flu, health officials say.

Kanawha-Charleston Health Department officials said Emily Kaitlyn Sims became the state's first reported pediatric influenza death since 2004 with her death on March 5, the Charleston (W. Va.) Daily Mail said Friday.

Rahul Gupta, the health department's director, said the teen died shortly after being showing signs of the flu and visiting her family physician.

Sims was freshman and an honor student at St. Albans High School at the time of her death.

Gupta said Thursday that tests are being conducted to determine if methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria had anything to do with Sims' death.

"One of the things we have to worry about is MRSA, or the super-bug," Gupta told the Daily Mail. "There is no proof at this point that this is what this young lady had. We're waiting on future testing."