State posts weekly report on spread of flu, by county and region

Flu season has arrived, and it's time to get your shot. But if you are curious about the spread of flu in your region, the state Department for Public Health has started an online weekly report that shows the number of influenza cases in each of Kentucky's 15 area development districts and counties that have reported cases of the flu.

The data come from reports the department compiles and sends to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is based on laboratory-confirmed cases defined by molecular virus testing and positive virus culture test results; rapid-positive tests are not included.

The report is at http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/epi/Influenza.htm and is updated each Friday before noon, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services said in a news release.

"This new public service is an example of the cabinet’s priority to strengthen data collection and analytics and then to make the information more easily accessible," the release says. 

The health department "relies on sites such as doctors’ offices, hospitals and health departments to help track the level of influenza activity in the state and to identify which strains of the flu are circulating in Kentucky," the release explains. "These voluntary sites collect data and report influenza-like illness cases according to age groups each week. This sampling represents only a small percentage of influenza cases for the state, but contributes to the ongoing assessment of flu activity in the commonwealth and helps determine the weekly level of flu activity."

Kentucky’s current flu level is classified as “sporadic,” with 18 confirmed cases. The news release says, "Sporadic activity indicates that small numbers of laboratory-confirmed influenza cases or a single laboratory-confirmed influenza outbreak have been reported, but there is no increase in cases of influenza-like illnesses."

Vaccination can be given any time during the flu season. The recommends flu vaccine for everyone over six months of age. People who are strongly encouraged to receive the flu vaccine because they may be at higher risk for complications or negative consequences include:

• Children age six months through 59 months;
• Women who are or will be pregnant during the influenza season;
• Persons 50 years of age or older;

• Persons with extreme obesity (body-mass index of 40 or greater);
• Persons aged six months and older with chronic health problems;
• Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities;
• Household contacts (including children) and caregivers of children younger than 5, particularly contacts of such children, or of adults 50 and older;

• Household contacts and caregivers or people who live with a person at high-risk for
  complications from the flu; and

• Health care workers, including physicians, nurses, medical emergency-response workers, employees of nursing home and long-term care facilities who have contact with patients or residents, and students in these professions who will have contact with patients.

The flu can cause fever, headache, cough, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing and body aches. Flu can be very contagious. For more information on influenza or the availability of flu vaccine, Kentuckians should contact their primary care medical provider or local health department. Influenza information is also available online at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm. Here's a partial screenshot of the weekly report: