State health officials are concerned about the growing number of confirmed flu cases in Allegheny County and all of Western Pennsylvania, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.
Western Pennsylvania is the hardest hit region of the state so far this season, which began Sept. 29, spokeswoman Brittany Lauffer said.
Laboratory-confirmed flu cases jumped 53% in the seven-county Pittsburgh area from Dec. 14 to Dec. 21, according to weekly data the state Health Department released Tuesday. Flu cases increased from just over 3,600 to more than 5,500, the health department said.
Allegheny County continues to lead the state in confirmed flu cases with 3,051, a 51% increase in one week.
Combined, the seven counties in the Pittsburgh area account for about half of the state’s 11,140 confirmed flu cases.
The state’s total increased 61% in one week.
Allegheny County alone accounts for 27% of the state’s flu cases.
Lauffer said there could be a variety of reasons for the increase.
“It is extremely important that Pennsylvanians are receiving their flu vaccine and are taking other preventative measures to protect themselves from the spread of the flu,” she said. “This includes washing your hands frequently, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and remembering to disinfect commonly-touched objects, such as door knobs, cellphones and countertops.
“As people gather together for the holidays over the next few weeks, we urge residents to take these precautions. And if you are sick with the flu to stay home and rest to prevent others from getting sick,” she said.
Confirmed flu reports have been received from 65 of the state’s 67 counties, and flu activity is increasing in all regions, the department said.
No new deaths from the flu were reported in the past week. There have been seven deaths so far this season. Six of the seven deaths were in people age 65 and over; one was in the 50-64 age group. The state does not disclose where deaths occurred.
There have been 186 flu-associated hospitalizations this season to-date, up by 144, or 29%, in one week.
Influenza Type B accounts for about 78% of the state’s total cases, with Type A accounting for 19%.
