Reports of flu continue to pour in to the Jefferson County Health Department, an agency official said Thursday (Dec. 4).
Kelly Fluharty, the department’s epidemiology specialist, said the department had received reports of 213 county flu cases by Thursday, including both types A and B.
The different types reflect different strains, one not necessarily more dangerous than the other, she said.
The number of reported cases had swelled dramatically since Monday, when Fluharty told the Leader there had been 149 cases reported since Sept. 29, designated as the start of this year’s flu season.
Fluharty said cases spiked up Nov. 23-29, the week of Thanksgiving.
“The flu has definitely hit hard and early,” she said. “There were 124 cases reported the week of Nov. 23.”
As of Dec. 7, 2013, only 15 flu cases had been reported. Last year’s flu season closed with 580 cases, with the peak in late December, Fluharty said. Annually, the season extends from late September to the middle of May.
Numbers differ wide from year to year, she said, and the peak also hits at different times. There can be anywhere from 200 cases a year to 1,000, Fluharty said.
The Centers for Disease Control issued a health advisory this week saying there is early evidence that this year’s flu vaccine does not match a Type A strain that has developed.
Fluharty said a flu vaccine is still helpful, even if a person contracts that particular strain, because the vaccine can help reduce the intensity of symptoms.