While flu levels remain high throughout the state, the northeastern tip of the state – Bergen and neighboring Passaic counties – are logging the most cases, according to the state’s most recent weekly flu update.
Bergen’s flu cases are more than double that of any other county.
“We are seeing a large amount of people coming through the emergency department with a cough, sore throat, high fever, not feeling well, and body aches,
said Benjamin De La Rosa, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck.
“Mostly it’s children and the elderly who are the ones who get sick enough to go to the doctor – although everyone seems to be coming in, young and old,” he said.
While most patients typically do not have specimens sent to a lab to determine which strain of flu is hitting them – both the symptoms and the treatment are the same – the main culprit this season is Influenza A-H3.
That strain is producing more severe cases than the H1N1, or swine flu, that circulated so broadly in 2009.
Other counties are seeing some localized problems:
- Cumberland led the state for the highest percentage of children absent from school, as reported in the last weekly update provided by the N.J. Department of Health.
- Passaic, Salem and Cape May posted the highest percentages of flu-like illnesses showing up in hospital emergency departments.
The A-H3 strain can be particularly hard on the very old and the very young, De La Rosa said. They are more likely to have complications, or to be sick for a longer period of time.
The elderly especially can have underlying conditions – asthma, or heart, liver or kidney problems – that can be worsened by the flu, he said.
The severity of flu can be lessened by the timely administering of Tamiflu or another anti-viral medication. While that typically needs to be done within the first 48 hours of symptoms, it can still provide some relief in severe cases if given on the third or fourth day, De La Rosa said.
Signs that an elderly flu sufferer should seek medical attention include a change in alertness coupled with the inability to eat or drink anything. “If they’re so sick that they can’t hydrate themselves or feed themselves, that’s a good sign to pick up the phone and go see someone,” he said.
Kathleen O’Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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