Flu Season Warning in Louisiana | Health care/Hospitals

Louisiana is heading into flu season and the Thanksgiving holiday with the highest flu activity level in the country. And while the number of severe cases of the illness at hospitals remains low, doctors are seeing signs that the respiratory virus season will get into full swing soon.

New federal data released Friday shows the percentage of medical visits for flu symptoms in Louisiana climbed to 3.9% in the week ending Nov. 15, almost double the national rate and the highest level recorded in any state.

Each week, the CDC ranks states on a 14-point scale based on the number of people who visit the doctor for a fever, plus a cough or sore throat. Louisiana is at level 7. Almost every other state is under level 3, except for Colorado, which is at level 4.

Almost 100 people were admitted to the hospital for the flu last week in Louisiana, compared to 39 at the beginning of November.

Dr. Michael Bolton, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge, said Louisiana often sees flu activity rise before much of the country. It’s not always clear why — or if a worse flu season will follow as a result.

But he said the timing should serve as a reminder to get vaccinated, especially after last year’s difficult pediatric season. Nearly 300 children died nationally, close to half of them without underlying health conditions. Most of those children had not received a flu shot.

“The flu vaccine is a vitally important piece of your health care plan,” Bolton said. “I can’t underscore that enough.”

A new strain

There’s also another reason the flu may be spreading faster. One strain of the flu, known as H3N2, picked up new mutations over the summer. Those changes allow the strain to “evade immunity a little better,” said Bolton. For example, someone who had the flu last year may not have protection against this strain, though it’s unclear if it will spread in Louisiana.

This updated H3N2 strain has driven rapid increases in cases in the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada. New CDC data shows it now makes up more than half of flu samples tested in the United States.

The current U.S. flu vaccine still teaches the body to recognize H3N2 and is expected to provide at least partial protection against the strain and reduce the risk of severe illness.

Thanksgiving gatherings

With Thanksgiving approaching, Dr. Julio Figueroa, infectious disease expert at LSU Health New Orleans, said increases in flu numbers are expected.

“It’s not going crazy yet, but now is the time to get your flu vaccine,” Figueroa said.

According to state data, children ages 2 to 4 and 5 to 11 make up the largest percentage of visits to emergency departments for flu, making up more than 10% of visits for each group.

Dr. Margot Anderson, a pediatric hospitalist and infectious disease specialist at Manning Family Children’s, said her team is already treating hospitalized children with both flu and RSV, another seasonal respiratory virus.