For you locals suffering from flu although you were immunized: Early appearance, strain shift cause widespread flu in central Missouri University of Missouri Health Care infectious diseases experts say increased numbers of influenza patients this fall are the result of an earlier flu season and a shift in the genetic makeup of one of the influenza strains. In the United States, the annual flu season generally begins in late October, peaks sometime in January or February, and ends in early May. “The difference this year is that we saw higher numbers in November and December as flu season was just getting started,” said Michael Cooperstock, MD, medical director of MU Health Care’s Infection Control Department and a pediatric infectious disease specialist at MU Children’s Hospital. “We can expect to see another eight to 12 weeks of activity before the flu season ends.” According to the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services, the disparity between last year and this year is already quite large. On Dec. 28, 2013, the number of confirmed cases in Boone County totaled 85. The most current number available for 2014 is almost 1,100 confirmed cases. Compounding the issue is the genetic shift in one of this year’s flu strains. Each year, manufacturers create vaccines that guard against the types of influenza experts predict are likely to be most common for the upcoming season. The quadrivalent vaccine offered this year guards against two forms of influenza A and two forms of influenza B viruses. “This year, we had what is called a genetic drift in the influenza A H3N2 strain,” said Linda Johnson, RN, manager of the Infection Control Department at MU Health Care. “This drift produced a strain that is not as genetically close to the type used in this year’s flu vaccine. The flu shot still offers protection against influenza, though it is not at the level we would like it to be.” Johnson and Cooperstock both agree the vaccine still has plenty of value because it is still the best protection against influenza. “It is not too late to get the flu shot,” Cooperstock said. “Even though the vaccine isn’t a perfect match, it still offers a good deal of protection. It will prevent the disease about 50 percent of the time. And for those who still get the flu, the severity of their symptoms and the duration of the disease will be reduced.”
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 19:26:29 +0000
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