Iif you haven't gotten a flu shot yet, now is the time to do so.
Pennsylvania and New Jersey health departments say the number of confirmed cases is rising. Both states say flu activity is "regional," however, Pennsylvania is on the verge of declaring it "widespread," the highest level.
Confirmed cases in the southeastern counties are relatively low, but they are about 3 times higher in the Lehigh Valley, and in Lancaster County. And there are signs the outbreak is creeping closer to Philadelphia.
So far, there have been 3 flu-related deaths in Montgomery County, and 9 overall across the state.
Here's the county-by-county tallyof lab-confirmed cases for the week which ended January 8th:
Philadelphia - 30
Bucks - 20
Delaware - 16
Chester- 19
Montgomery - 25
By comparison, Lehigh County had 102 cases, a jump of 22 in 1 week , while Northampton County had 61 cases.
The number of lab-confirmed cases don't represent all the flu cases in the area, because only a fraction of people who get sick see a doctor, and an even smaller portion are tested. However, they do illustrate trends.
Thus far this season, the vast majority of flu cases (87%) are type-A H3N2 strain, which is more severe, and tends to hit the very young, and the elderly harder. However, 10% of cases, and a number of the deaths, are due to the H1N1 strain. The biggest number of cases are among young children, 25 to 49-year-olds, and those over 65.
To get the latest report, go to www.flufreepa.gov.
