There’s been a big uptick in the number of flu cases in Montana. That’s according to Elton Mosher, the state health department’s flu surveillance coordinator.
"Last week we just had a real tremendous surge in the number of hospitalizations," he says.
Last week 70 people were hospitalized for flu. That compares to 100 hospitalizations total over the previous 3 months.
Mosher says he expects the number of cases to continue to grow for at least a few weeks, and that some counties are seeing higher flu rates than others.
"Cascade County has been unusually impacted by influenza this year," Mosher says, "Rosebud County is another one, [and] Hill County."
The exact number of cases and hospitalizations last week in each county is not yet available. Mosher says the dominant strain of flu circulating this year is stronger than the strain that’s been most prevalent the last couple of years, but that so far there’s only been one death attributed to the flu in Montana. Two years ago the flu killed 15 Montanans.
Mosher says people can protect themselves and help prevent the spread of flu by frequently washing their hands and keeping themselves and their kids home from work and school when they’re sick.
