After a few weeks of leveling off, flu cases in central New York have seen another spike.
Now in the heart of influenza season, Onondaga County health officials’ weekly total of reported cases was the highest of the season, so far. That's in contrast to statewide numbers, where reported cases declined five percent last week. The county documented 316 cases for the week ending Jan. 31. That’s after four weeks of reported cases between two and three hundred.
"It’s still out there; we’re not at the end of the flu season yet," said Dr. Indu Gupta, Onondaga County health commissioner.
Gupta says the rise could be attributed to more patients getting tested. Last week’s totals were three times higher than the number of cases reported for the same week last year.
The high outbreak of influenza is being attributed to a particularly strong strain of the flu that this year’s vaccine has limited success preventing. Still, Gupta and health officials are urging people to get the vaccine and take precautions if flu symptoms arise.