At least five children and seven adults died of the flu last week in Arkansas and Texas, state health officials said. Nationwide, more than 6,600 deaths have been reported this season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Because of the unusual prevalence of influenza-B, which accounts for 52% of positive influenza tests since September of last year, children across the United States have been dying from the flu at roughly twice the rate from the last season.
"So far, influenza-B has been a little more common, which is unusual," Meg Mirivel, director of communications for the Arkansas Department of Health, said. "Typically, influenza-B, we don't really see it emerge until the back half of the season and influenza-B can be more serious for children, so that would be a concern."
More than 3,545 people tested positive for the flu last week in Texas and Arkansas, the states' health departments reported. Of Arkansas' 1,400 new cases, 53% were influenza-B. Of Texas' 2,145 new cases, however, 56.69% were influenza-A.
Two Arkansas schools have briefly closed this season, the Arkansas Department of Health reported.
McLeod Independent School District, 40 miles south of Texarkana, is set to reopen Monday after closing Thursday because of a flu outbreak.
At least one school district in the San Antonio area closed last week, citing influenza-B.
Two metrics the health departments use to measure the activity and intensity of the flu - the geographic spread and the influenza-like-illness (ILI) intensity - indicated "widespread" and "high," respectively.
Worldwide, the flu causes up to 5 million cases of severe illness each year and up to 650,000 deaths, the World Health Organization reports.
Signs and symptoms
According to WHO, the flu is characterized by the following symptoms:
sudden onset of fever
cough
headache
muscle and joint pain
severe malaise
sore throat
runny nose,
The cough, usually dry, can be severe and last two or more weeks. "Most people recovere from fever and other symptoms within a week without requiring medical attention," WHO officials said. "But influenza can cause severe illness or death especially in people at high risk."
Prevention
"It's not too late to get a flu shot," Mirivel said. "It does take about two weeks to reach its full effectiveness, so the sooner the better, but certainly, if someone hasn't gotten their flu shot, we're still seeing a good amount of activity. It's also very important to wash your hands correctly and frequently and to stay home if you're sick."
WHO recommends annual vaccinations for pregnant women, children, seniors, people with medical conditions and health care workers or people who live with those who are at high risk. The vaccine may be less effective in preventing the illness in seniors, but it can reduce the severity of the disease.
The WHO also recommends the following methods to reduce the spread of the virus:
regular hand washing and proper drying
covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
using tissues and disposing of them correctly
early self-isolation for those who feel unwell
avoiding close contact with sick people
avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth.