Visalia, California: It's flu season, but not everyone with flu-like symptoms have the flu.  12-year-old Alyssa Alcaraz showed the signs of the flu and it was just assumed she had the flu since the flu has been so widerspread.  Unfortunately that assumption delayed the prescription of antiobiotics which she really needed.  It wasn't until Alyssa died that they found out she actually did not have the flu, but a bacterial infection that was spreading quickly, and ultimately led to sepsis.

Mariah Alcaraz recalls the day her sister got sick. "I remember she came home from school and she was throwing up and I thought oh she's probably got food poisoning, she's going to be OK," she said.

But it was not food poisoning.

Alyssa's mom, who did not want to go on camera, says doctors told them her daughter had the flu. After a few days of staying home from school and not getting better, they took Alyssa back to urgent care.

That is when a physician realized the young girl's oxygen levels were low. She was immediately rushed to Kaweah Delta Medical Center by ambulance.

Within hours, Alyssa's organs started shutting down and her family says she coded six times. By 2:50 Sunday afternoon, the vibrant girl with a passion for music died.

Her death certificate says she went into cardiac arrest and septic shock from a strep blood infection -- an infection no one in her family knew she had.
(via ABC7, FLU, "Visalia girl dies from infection doctors misdiagnosed as flu")

Posted on Facebook, members have also posted their stories of initially being misdiagnosed:

Drea Alvarez Completely true..my daughter was 4 months old she had a bad cold and kept choking every time she coughed, I took her to two different doctors both said she had a cold and she was chocking of mucus well the following day her symptons were getting worse she was literally turning blue and couldn't breathe finally took her to another doctor they kept her over night she had whooping cough.. As parents if you feel something is wrong never give up

Norma LeJab Very Sad and tragic. It's not enough to be told "you have the flu" without being told or shown labs that verify the strain. I always ask for a copy of my lab results and an explanation. A good Dr. will do that!

Josefina Avila Exectaly I was told the same thing at the ER with out them practising any thoat culture ti my 12 yr old son, Of course I question the doctor and left that ER to take my son to a different ER it was an infection not just a flu... ALWAYS look for a second opinion !!!!

Evelina Lombera Valencia This makes me so mad. Same thing happened to my daughter where they insisted it was a virus and she would not get better. Took her in again and refused that it was a virus sure enough she had a strep and had it for a while and ended up being scarlet fever. Thank the lord my baby girl is ok know. But please insist when you feel it's not right. Rip angel

Sunni Parker Killfoil Prayers to this family.

Same kind of infection killed my father in 2007. Thought he had the flu. It got into his heart valve & killed him.

Verenice Lozano I just went through this recently. I had a bacteria in my blood. It was tracked after I went to the ER with what they thought was the stomach virus. They sent me home but then when my results came in they called me asap & then they didn't let me go. 6 long painful days in the hospital was torture. But thankfully I'm better.