Flu season milder than last year, but peak still coming

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — The state’s influenza season has been milder than in recent years, with less than 2 percent of the population experiencing flu-like symptoms, but its peak is still approaching, state and county health officials said.

A total of 5,787 flu-like cases have been reported across the state, only slightly more than the 5,054 cases reported this time last year, said Dr. Kelly Moore, medical director of the state’s immunization program.

But the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases has only been 10 across the state, down from 23 cases reported this time last year.

“We haven’t seen that sharp an increase, but there still plenty of time left,” Moore said. “Last year the number of cases peaked in mid-February, but it can be as late as April.”

State and local health departments usually start recording flu-like symptoms the first week of October and continue until the end of May, Moore said.

Across the region, numbers vary because health departments rely on reporting from doctor’s offices and hospitals.

The health departments in Knoxville and Memphis both reported significant decreases in reported cases from last year, but Chattanooga and Nashville had slightly more.

Knoxville has had 43 reported cases, down from 353 this time last year. Memphis had 70 cases so far, down from 729 cases last year. Chattanooga has had 808 cases this season, up from 664 cases this time last year. Nashville reported 179 cases so far, up slightly from 19 for the same period last season.

Brian Todd, spokesman for the Nashville-Davidson County Health Department, said that last year the area did not start seeing significant numbers until February.

Knox County epidemiology nurse Janice Johnson said that almost half of the total cases in the county were reported since Jan. 1, indicating that the peak was likely to begin soon.

The influenza virus causes fever, headache, cough, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, body aches and stomach problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The oldest and youngest of the population are most at risk of serious illness or death from the flu, Moore said, emphasizing the need for flu vaccination for these age groups.

“On average, we estimate that 700 to 900 Tennesseans die each year from flu-related illnesses, and 90 percent of them are 65 years or older,” Moore said.

The state only keeps records of children who die as a result of the flu, but Moore said there have been no deaths reported this year.

Recommended health habits to avoid spreading or catching the influenza virus include washing hands often, covering coughs and sneezes and staying home when ill.