Arkansas Department of Health officials are asking the public to take extra precautions this year as the number of flu cases in the state continues to rise.
Gary Wheeler, Health Department branch chief of infectious diseases, said it is possible the flu season will compare to last year. There were 76 deaths reported during the 2013-14 flu season -- the highest number in more than 30 years.
"Last year was a bad year, but it is looking, right now, that it may be as bad as last year or potentially worse," Wheeler said. "We are well into the advanced part of this season right now. We are giving the highest level of warning."
The flu season could be more intense because a strain circulating nationally has mutated or drifted, Wheeler said. The vaccine is not effective against the strain, meaning it may not provide much protection.
The strain has mutated from an H3N2 strain that has historically caused more severe illness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Members of the public are still encouraged to get a flu vaccine, Wheeler said. The vaccine may help lessen the severity of the flu. Wheeler emphasized the importance of hand washing and said to avoid shaking hands. He said fist bumps are a better alternative to shaking hands. People also should avoid coming in contact with ill family or friends.
"People really need to take this seriously," Wheeler said.
There have been 260 hospitalizations in the state from the flu during the current flu season, according to a report released Tuesday by the Health Department. About half of the hospitalizations occurred between Dec. 14 and Saturday. There have been no deaths reported related to the flu in the state.
Wheeler said there are multiple people in the state in intensive-care units suffering from the flu. He was unable to give the number or the ages of the individuals.
About 67 percent of positive flu tests in the state are in children under the age of 18, according to the Department of Health report.
Typically, more children are tested for the flu virus, Wheeler said. He said it is possible there is a another reason for high percentages of children testing positive for the flu.
"We have talked to some of the pediatricians in the state, and they are seeing lots of kids with flulike symptoms coming in," Wheeler said. "It could be that kids are getting sick a lot more. It could be because the vaccination is not working as well. There is a lot of speculation."
It could take weeks before officials figure out what the trend means, Wheeler said.
"We don't know out of 100 kids from this year versus 100 kids from last year how many are going to end up in the hospital or dying," Wheeler said. "I don't know what to make of these numbers yet."
The H3N2 strain has historically caused more severe illness in children, the elderly and those with other health conditions, according to the CDC.
The CDC is reporting 11 pediatric deaths nationally from the flu between Sept. 28 and Dec. 13. The CDC does not report adult deaths from the flu.
Wheeler said the coming weeks will determine how severe the flu season will be.
Metro on 12/24/2014