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Article updated: 1/4/2013 4:06 PM

Flu season comes early, hits hard in suburbs

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Elizabeth Saint Victor winces as she gets a free flu shot from LPN Jean Buck courtesy of Baptist Healthcare in Memphis, Tenn., at the Central Library. Health officials say flu season is off to its earliest start in nearly 10 years _ and it could be a bad one. Officials said Monday, Dec. 3, 2012 that suspected flu cases have jumped in five southern states _ Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. An uptick in flu reports like this usually doesn't occur until after Christmas.

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Flu patients are filling suburban emergency rooms much earlier and at a much faster rate this season, though local health officials aren't exactly sure why. Illinois is experiencing one of the greatest flu outbreaks in the nation. "Normally we see an average of 200 cases per season but it is only Jan. 3 and we already have seen more than 260 confirmed cases," said Edward Hospital's Mary Anderson.

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