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Flu Yet to Peak: Bug Could Hang Around into April

Posted on: Thursday, 9 March 2006, 18:00 CST

By Russ Keen, American News, Aberdeen, S.D.

Mar. 9--Usually on the wane by now in South Dakota, the flu season might be just starting to gather steam this year.

It's usually on the downswing by late March, Dr. Lon Kightlinger, state epidemiologist, said Wednesday. "But I don't think we have peaked yet, so the flu season will probably go well into April, if not May," he said.

Last year the number of South Dakota flu cases peaked in early February. Deaths from flu numbered 43 in South Dakota for the 2004-05 flu season. Three have died so far this year.

"We've had a long, but fairly slow season so far," Kightlinger said. The first reported case occurred near the end of October -- weeks earlier than usual. The South Dakota Department of Health's Web site shows that the number of flu cases is rising now, although not dramatically.

There could be two peaks this year, one for influenza A and one for influenza B, because there are more B cases than usual this year, Kightlinger said. Influenza A is more common.

In Mobridge, three people have tested positive for type A and one for type B so far this season, said Katie Gregg, spokeswoman for Mobridge Regional Hospital. Every day there seems to be more and more people with flu-like symptoms, she said.

Two Central High School students have had the flu recently -- the first two cases at Central this school year, said Sheila Rahja, the school's nurse. She said she thinks this is just the beginning.

Hospitals full, but not just from flu: Some area hospitals are full, but not necessarily because of the flu. Avera St. Luke's Hospital in Aberdeen was full as of Wednesday morning, but patients with diagnosed flu were few, said spokeswoman Patty Kirkpatrick.

"It is just the general run of illnesses and surgeries," she said. It's not unusual for St. Luke's to be full in winter or late winter because of the rise in respiratory illnesses associated with the season, Kirkpatrick said.

Gettysburg Memorial Hospital was nearly full on Wednesday, said physician's assistant Steve Knobel. "But most of it is not the flu." Still, a moderate amount of illness with flu-like symptoms has hit the community as a whole, he said.

Gettysburg Elementary School reported eight of its 135 students absent due to illness on Wednesday, some down with flu and others with strep throat.

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Copyright (c) 2006, American News, Aberdeen, S.D.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: American News (Aberdeen, S.D.)

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