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Franciscan Skemp has reported La Crosse’s first influenza case, confirmed Monday by the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene. The respiratory illness in an adult male was identified late last week.
“The flu season has officially started,” said Mary Jo Stokes, Franciscan Skemp infection prevention specialist. “It was nice to get through Christmas and New Year’s Eve before seeing active disease.
“This means we’re going to see a lot more cases,” she said.
It’s not too late to get a flu shot, and there’s plenty of the vaccine, Stokes said.
“At least what we’re seeing so far, the vaccine is effective against those strains this season,” she said.
People need to know the flu is a respiratory disease, not a gastrointestinal disease, with symptoms such as an abrupt onset of high fever and severe headache and muscle aches.
“Usually with the flu, you feel you have been hit by a truck,” Stokes said.
The flu activity level has been low, with sporadic cases in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. Peak flu activity usually is late December through March. Last season, the first flu case in the La Crosse area was confirmed Christmas Eve.
hedley not heddy wrote on Jan 6, 2009 8:55 AM: