US woman dies of flu, doctors call it ‘one in a million cases’

Price Merepol McMahon was preparing for the Boston Marathon.

In a shocking incident, a 36-year-old woman in the United States died suddenly of the flu despite having no history of health problems, according to a report published in Independent. Price Merepol McMahon of Wellesley, Massachusetts, lived near Boston with her husband and two children. She was preparing to run her first Boston Marathon and completed an eight-mile trial run in preparation for the event just two days before her death (December 27). The doctor who treated her said it was “one in a million cases”.

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

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

“The words of the doctor, I will always remember – ‘it’s one in a million flu cases,'” his older brother, Ian Meropol, was quoted as saying by Independent.

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

She worked as an executive at American Express and Burberry and was a marathon runner under 4 hours, the boston globe said in his report.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said the flu affects about eight percent of people in America each 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, headache and fatigue. Some people may also experience vomiting and diarrhea, although this is more common in children than adults, the health agency said.