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County reports slowing flu, few COVID and RSV deaths; pertussis cases scattered
Summary
Cascade County communicable disease update shows influenza and COVID activity slowing, with two COVID deaths and one RSV death reported in 2025; pertussis cases were low and not epidemiologically linked, staff said.
Sarah Cozzino, who presented the communicable-disease report to the Cascade County City-County Board of Health, said influenza and COVID-19 activity are beginning to decline and that there were no flu deaths reported in county records so far this year.
Cozzino reported that for 2025 the county has recorded two COVID-19 deaths and one death attributed to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). She described pertussis as “very little” in the county and said the small number of cases appeared unconnected rather than the result of a single outbreak.
The presenter noted a reporting lag from one facility that arrived after the report was compiled and said that minor undercounts were possible because of late submissions. “The flu numbers might be slightly higher than what we have on here. We did receive our report from one of our facilities yesterday afternoon, so it was too late to kinda update this,” Cozzino said.
Board members asked whether the county’s reporting matched state trends; Cozzino said Cascade County has generally been “doing pretty good” compared with other places in Montana and that data completeness was adequate.
Abigail (prevention services staff) and Cozzino also discussed immunization operations. Immunization services are not mandated by statute but provide program income that helps support prevention services, staff said. The department participates in federal vaccine programs (Vaccine for Children and adult programs) that lower vaccine purchase costs but increase supply-related expenditures at month end.
The board did not take formal action on the communicable-disease report; members asked staff to continue regular reporting and to note late facility submissions in future updates.
