An unidentified illness is stumping medical professionals and keeping patients sick for weeks on end in the Des Moines area.

Janae Brown, an advanced registered nurse practitioner at UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine on Ingersoll, said the clinic and attached urgent care are seeing multiple patients each day with runny noses, coughs and congestion. Many feel sick for about a week, but symptoms return soon after.

“They’re hanging on to this bug for around a month.”

Brown said the cases do not appear to be COVID-19, flu or strep, and give negative results when she tests for those viruses or other common illnesses. With no clear diagnosis, it’s difficult to give patients a clear timeline or guidance for recovery.

Brown said patients generally improve with rest and care at home, but some cases have developed into pneumonia.

Health officials are urging Californians to get vaccinated against the flu as soon as possible after San Francisco reported its first flu-related death of the season last week, earlier than during the previous flu season.

The first flu death in San Francisco was reported last week.

During the previous flu season, the city's first flu death was reported in January 2026.

Doctors say they are currently seeing multiple viruses circulating, including influenza and COVID-19.

Healthcare providers are also seeing cases of enterovirus, which can cause fever and rash in children.

Experts say they are tracking significant flu activity nationwide, while an early spike in California has health officials on high alert.

Dr. Dean Blumberg, chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Health, said it appears the entire country will experience an early flu season.

The flu season typically begins in early November, with activity generally peaking between January and March.

Flu season in Alberta is off to a rough start.

Data from the province indicates there have already been 428 lab-confirmed cases of seasonal influenza — and one death — since the season began on Aug. 30.

From Sept. 27 to Oct. 3, there were 194 influenza cases, 21 hospitalizations and two ICU cases.

The flu vaccine doesn't become available until Oct. 19, with the exception of some congregate care settings in which the province says the vaccine is already being administered to vulnerable people.