Deadly flu season claims 29 in Travis
Fatalities are six times higher than 2017, and outbreak not at peak.
With 29 deaths reported since September, Travis County is experiencing a flu season almost six times more deadly than last year’s.
In recent weeks, a rising percentage of doctor’s visits statewide related to the flu and an increasing prevalence of a different flu strain — flu B — have left experts uncertain about whether the worst is over.
Hays County reported its first flu death of the season this week, an elderly person, county epide
miologist Eric Schneider said. “We did see, this past week, a small decline in the number of positive flu tests,” Schneider said. “But I don’t thinkwe’re donewith the peak of flu season just yet because I did get a higher number of people who reported what we call ‘ILIs,’ which is influenza-like illness . ... So people are still sick.”
In Hays County this past week, more people tested positive for flu B than flu A, Schneider said.
“It’s hard to tell if that means that flu B is about to spike, or if it’s just, you know, they’re both still high up there,” Schneider said. “So we may still see higher
numbers, it may be we peaked early and we might be on the decline. It’s hard to tell at the moment.”
In Williamson County, there have been no reported influenza-related deaths but more than 1,000 confirmed cases of the flu, according to the county’s most recent report published Feb. 2.
Deb Strahler, marketing and community engagement director for Williamson Coun- ty’s health district, said both flu strains are circulating in the county, and that the number of flu cases reported in the county has remained steady over the past couple of weeks.
Statewide, flu reports don’t yet appear to show that the state has reached the end of peak flu season. Lara Anton, Texas Department of State Health Services spokes- woman, said doctor’s visits for influen- za-like illnesses would have to decrease consistently for several weeks before the department could determine whether the season had peaked.
“We usually look at the percentage of visits due to influenza-like illnesses, and that actually went up in the last week,” Anton said. “And that’s sort of consistent with what’s happening nationally, as well . ... We don’t believe we’ve peaked yet.”
The percentage of doctor’s visits state- wide due to influenza-like illnesses is about 14.5 percent — the highest it has been in
three years. More than 2,800 people, including five children, have died in Texas from pneumo-
nia and influenza, according to the most recent state report.
Dallas County has seen 53 flu deaths, more than the total deaths from the previ- ous three flu seasons combined, according to updated numbers from Dallas County Health and Human Services. Elsewhere in North Texas, Tarrant County has tallied 24 flu deaths, Collin County 14 deaths and Denton County seven deaths, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Houston has recorded two deaths, and Bexar County has one confirmed pediatric death.
More than half of those who died of the flu statewide this season have been people older than 65. Those older than 65 are considered high-risk patients, along with children younger than 5, people with chronic health conditions and pregnant women.
Ken Mitchell, senior vice president and chief medical officer at St. David’s Health
Care, said high-risk patients should avoid those who are sick and large crowds as much as possible. He also said it’s not too late to get a flu shot. “We think this flu season will probably con
tinue for several more weeks and maybe as long as a couple of months,” Mitchell said.