Idaho, Canyon County sees increase in influenza patients, influenza-related deaths

The national flu epidemic has its handle in Idaho and reportedly Ada County as well.

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) has called the national outbreak of influenza an epidemic — finding that all states except for Hawaii are suffering widespread flu activity.

Idaho is seeing an increased number of influenza patients and influenza-related deaths.

Canyon County is also reportedly seeing an increase in the number of patients visiting clinics for influenza.

“Flu is widespread and it’s severe,” said Niki Forbing-Orr, Public Information Manager at Idaho Department of Health & Welfare.

Last week, the percent of Idaho patients seeing their health care providers for influenza-related illnesses more than doubled to 3.44 percent from 1.4 percent, according to an Idaho Department of Health and Welfare report. The report also stated that 5.8 percent of emergency visits were related to ILI.

Nationally 5.8 percent of people are seeing their health providers for influenza, according to the CDC.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 10 more influenza-related deaths last week. In total, 23 influenza-related deaths have been recorded in Idaho. Twelve of those deaths took place in the Panhandle Health District, which includes Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai and Shoshone counties.

According to Forbing-Orr, Idaho had 13 deaths last year.

“We’re not sure why the panhandle is seeing more of those,” Forbing-Orr said. “It may not mean there is more flu there, it just might mean there are more people who are in high-risk populations.”

High-risk populations include kids under the age of 5, adults over the age of 65, pregnant women and those with medical conditions like asthma, heart and lung disease.

According to Dr. Yvette Cressey, doctor of osteopathic medicine at Saltzer Medical Group, Canyon County residents, like the rest of the nation, have been hit harder than normal.

“We’ve been seeing a lot more influenza in the Nampa area and Canyon County,” Cressey said. “There’s definitely a drop off of people getting their flu shot this year. It’s probably the worst it has been in the last 10 years.”

An informal report completed for the Idaho Press-Tribune found that Saltzer Medical Group locations has diagnosed almost four times as many patients with influenza this year than they had by this time last year.

The same report, filed by Rachel Stephenson, MHS Quality Payment Program Specialist at Saltzer Medical Group, found that less than half the number of people who got a flu shot by this time last year have gotten it this year.

Cressey said the increase in cases this year is likely linked to fewer people getting flu shots. When people get signs of the virus, Cressey said, they often don’t realize symptoms like “runny nose, body aches, cough, fever” are not “self limiting” and are the first indicators of influenza.

The national influenza outbreak has had a number of effects on residence all over Idaho. The Kellogg School District closed all schools and sent students and staff home due to a flu outbreak. The schools, which closed on Wednesday, won’t open until Monday, according to the Associated Press.

According to data on the CDC’s website, the majority of influenza cases in Idaho are Influenza A (H3) and Influenza B (Yamagata Lineage).

Across the nation the influx of influenza patients has caused overflow in hospitals, like the Palomar Medical Center Escondido’s (Calif.) emergency room, which had to assemble a tent to treat all of the influenza patients, according to the Associated Press.

In Puetro Rico, there is an ongoing shortage of fluids used to deliver medicine and treat dehydrated patients, according to the Associated Press. Supplies were already tight in Puerto Rico and the epidemic-level flu season has caused multiple hospitals make due with what little supplies they have while they wait for local factories to rebound.

The best way to avoid contracting influenza, Forbing-Orr said, is to get the flu vaccination. She said flu season is ongoing and “the only way to keep you and your family safe is to get the vaccination.”

Forbing-Orr said the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has seen “a lot of flu activity in long term care facilities” this year, and by getting getting a flu vaccine you can keep vulnerable populations like the elderly or young children safe by getting the vaccine.

“The flu vaccine is your best bet to protect yourself against the flu, even if it’s not a perfect match to the strains that are circulating, it can reduce the severity if you do get sick from the flu and it can keep you from being hospitalized if you do develop complications,” Forbing-Orr said.

Ana Martinez, a medical assistant at the Sea Mar Community Health Center, gives a patient a flu shot, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018 in Seattle. According to an update by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Friday, Jan. 12, 2018, flu is now widespread in every state except Hawaii, but the good news is the flu season appears to be peaking. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

The Associated Press