US Woman Dies Of Flu, Doctors Call It "One In A Million Case"

In a shocking incident, a 36-year-old woman in the United States abruptly died of flu despite having no history of health issues, according to a report in Independent. Price Merepol McMahon from Wellesley, Massachusetts, lived near Boston with her husband and two children. She was preparing to compete in her first Boston Marathon and completed a 13-kilometre test run in preparation of the event just two days before her death (on December 27). The doctor who treated her said it was "one-in-a-million case".

A week before this, Ms McMahon even rooted for Argentina in the World Cup final and celebrated the first day of Hannukah with her family, the outlet further said.

But her health deteriorated suddenly and Ms McMohan died on Tuesday. Her family took her to the hospital after she complained of trouble in breathing.

"The doctor's words, I'll always remember this - 'this is a one-in-a-million case of influenza'," her oldest brother, Ian Meropol, was quoted as saying by Independent.

"She was always incredibly smart, hardworking, driven, she was the one that everyone knew would be successful," he added.

She worked as an executive at American Express and Burberry and was a sub-4-hour marathoner, the Boston Globe said in its report.

Centres for Disease Control (CDC) said that flu affects about eight per cent of people in America every season. It can cause mild to severe illness.

Some of the symptoms listed by CDC include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue. Some people may also experience vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults, the health agency said.