Updated: October 31, 2019 04:02 PM

The Minnesota Department of Health documented the state's first flu death of the season, according to a report released on Thursday.

The MDH's Influenza & Respiratory Illness Activity Report shows one death associated with influenza has been recorded so far this season. The death occurred in a previous reporting week but appeared as a flu death for the first time in Thursday's report.

The MDH document said the death was non-pediatric. 

The number of people hospitalized from influenza-like sicknesses increased for the third straight week, bringing the season's total to 19.

What you need to know as flu season approaches

In Minnesota's previous reporting year, 2,522 people were hospitalized from confirmed influenza; 126 influenza-associated deaths, including two pediatric deaths, were reported; 60 outbreaks of influenza were reported in long-term care facilities; and 381 outbreaks of influenza-like illness were reported in schools, according to MDH statistics.

The flu is projected to spread more rapidly in the weeks and months ahead, and getting a flu shot is one the top prevention methods recommended by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.

If you have not gotten your flu shot yet, the MDH has online resources to help you find a place to get vaccinated.