Report shows sharp decrease in Iowa flu hospitalizations

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The number of flu hospitalizations has decreased by more than two-thirds since late December, Iowa health officials said.

Just 50 flu hospitalizations were recorded in the week ending Jan. 17, down from 182 admitted in the week ending Jan. 3, according to an Iowa Department of Public Health report. The drop in cases comes when Gov. Terry Branstad's hospitalization due to the illness focused attention on the flu.

Health Department medical director Dr. Patricia Quinlisk said there were likely more hospitalizations last week than the report indicates, because one major hospital was unable to send its figures due to technical difficulties. Still, she said, it's clear that fewer people are becoming severely ill from the flu.

Nevertheless, Quinlisk said, flu season is not over yet, and the epidemic could rekindle.

"I would not be comfortable declaring victory yet," she said.

Schoolchildren returning from winter break pass viruses around and take them home to family members, she said. And Iowa sometimes experiences a second, smaller flu spike later in the season.

The Des Moines Register reports (http://dmreg.co/1LhK5EK ) the dominant flu bug this winter has been the H3N2 virus, a strain that tends to cause severe illness and has proven particularly troublesome this season because it shifted its genes to make it a poor match for this year's flu shots. Most people can recover at home, but the flu can be deadly, particularly for young children, the elderly and those with chronic health problems.

Carrie O'Brien, a nurse epidemiologist for UnityPoint Health-Des Moines, said Iowa's elderly population has been hit the hardest.

Quinlisk said recent warm weather could ease the blow of the epidemic, because flu viruses seem to be most infectious during cold streaks. Still, she urged Iowans to continue washing their hands, get flu shots if they haven't already and stay home if they're sick to avoid spreading the virus.

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Information from: The Des Moines Register, http://www.desmoinesregister.com