The seasonal flu is now widespread throughout Minnesota, state health officials said Thursday, with the number of cases rising sharply for the second consecutive week.
The outbreak is outpacing last year's, with 172 people hospitalized last week because of flu infection — something that didn't happen last flu season until late January.
About 3.4 percent of all visits to medical clinics last week were from flu-like illnesses, a jump from 2.6 percent the previous week.
Even these numbers do not include the full effects of Christmas travel and family gatherings, which tend to accelerate the spread of flu viruses because large groups are confined in close spaces. Next week's flu report from the Minnesota Health Department is expected to reflect even higher numbers.
Flu symptoms include fever, body aches, chills, fatigue, cough and a sore throat. The illness typically passes within a few days, but can cause serious complications, especially in the elderly, young children and people with underlying respiratory difficulties.
The dominant flu strain making the rounds now has caused higher hospitalization rates in the past for the elderly and young children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
Federal health officials this week recommended that all hospitalized, severely ill and high-risk patients infected with the flu should be treated with antiviral medications.
"It is important to get seen early because there is a chance that they can provide these antiviral treatments to limit the spread and severity of disease," said Joe Kurland, a vaccine specialist and infection preventionist at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.
