Number of new flu cases in Greene County soared last week

Number near total of the rest of the fall and winter combined

February 21, 2012|by Sara Forhetz, KY3 News

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Springfield-Greene County Health Department says it saw 17 confirmed new influenza cases last week, up from six the previous week. That included 12 cases of Type A and five cases Type B flu.

The traditional flu season got off to its slowest start in 25 years. Before last week, the department had only 25 confirmed flu cases in the county, with most weeks since mid-September having zero, one, or two new cases, and one week in November have three new cases.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Controlin Atlanta said last week that Missouri is one of a few states that had a spike in flu or flu-like cases over the past two weeks. Health officials don't know why but say, so far, this year's flu vaccine can ward off the bug that is making people sick.

Doctors around the Springfield area are seeing patients flood waiting rooms.

Starting the week of February 12, cases really started to peak in Greene County. The CDC says it's a regional peak with a lot of cases in Missouri and all around us.

Health officials believe the late start we're seeing to the flu season, could mean a late finish, too.

"It just gets spread person to person," said Dr. Rebecca Wiley at the Family Medical Walk-in Clinic on South Campbell. She has her work cut out for her."Five cases a day is what I am seeing," she said.Chart after chart, room by room, is sick with the flu."It's definitely easier to prevent flu. Get the shot every year... and then just plenty of hand washing," Dr. Wiley said.It sounds like simple enough advice, but evidently not enough people have caught on, and are catching the bug."If you're sick, stay home. Unfortunately, you are infectious a day before you start symptoms, but once you start those symptoms, stay home and stay away from others," said Springfield-Greene County epidemiologist Kendra Williams. She says usually by now, we're peaking, instead, it's just getting underway."Normally April is about when we start to see flu cases drop and we stop seeing those cases come through... my guess is we'll still be seeing cases in April and maybe even into May," Williams said.Your best defense, doctors say: go get a flu shot.If you get a shot, keep in mind, it takes two weeks to take full effect. You can contract the flu during that time.Doctors say cough into your elbow, wash your hands a lot, and keep yourself along with any sick kids at home until you're well.

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