Mild flu bug spreading through county

Published 11:03 pm Tuesday, February 12, 2008

EVERETT — Flu is now widespread in Snohomish and King counties with an increase in cases also reported on south Whidbey Island, health officials say.

While influenza cases are mounting statewide, “there does seem to be more flu in the Puget Sound region, mostly in Snohomish and King counties,” said Phyllis Shoemaker, influenza coordinator for the state Department of Health.

This year’s flu virus is not as serious as that which has circulated in previous years, she said. “This year, it’s more mild.”

The Island County Health Department is getting reports of a recent noticeable increase in flu cases from clinics, said Dr. Roger Case, that county’s health officer.

“It’s peaking right now, as it always does this time of year,” Case said, with the most number of flulike cases being reported from clinics on south Whidbey Island.

In Snohomish County, school absentee rates “appear to be no higher than in previous years,” Dr. Gary Goldbaum, health officer, said Tuesday.

However, the Stanwood-­Camano School District, citing increasing reports of the virus, has posted a note on its Web site asking parents to keep their children home if they have flulike symptoms. These include high fever, chills, and body aches.

While absenteeism at several of the district’s schools is approaching 10 percent, there are no plans to close any schools, Cathy Britt, school spokeswoman, said Tuesday night.

Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle has hospitalized 39 children for influenza and treated 87 others in its emergency room since October, said Dr. Danielle M. Zerr, medical director of infection control.

“So far, this season does not appear to be significantly worse than last year or previous (flu) seasons,” she said.

There have been no reports of Washington children dying from influenza this flu season, Shoemaker said.

Last year, three children from King County died from the flu or flu complications, said James Apa, spokesman for Public Health Seattle and King County.

The Everett Clinic, which has clinics throughout Snohomish County, reports increasing numbers of people testing positive for the flu virus last week.

“We have not seen the peak yet; it is really busy,” said Dr.Yuan-Po Tu, who monitors flu issues for The Everett Clinic.

Of the 246 patients tested for flu last week, 77 people, or 31 percent, were positive, he said.

In addition to the flu, other seasonal viruses are also circulating. These include colds and a virus that causes intestinal illness, such as nausea and vomiting.

Waiting rooms are full of patients, he said.

And children continue to be hit hard by an upper respiratory virus, Tu said.

Stevens Hospital has hospitalized three patients since January with flu symptoms, said Bobbi Ragland, infection control nurse.

Signs have been put on the doors of the rooms of patients with the flu, asking that everyone who enters wear a mask, since the virus is easily spread by coughing, she said.

The hospital’s lab has processed 14 tests from patients between the ages of 4 and 70 that came back positive for the flu, she said.

At Providence Everett Medical Center, three patients have been hospitalized since January for influenza and 12 emergency room patients tested positive for the virus, spokeswoman Cheri Russum said.

Reporter Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.