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Flu Season Arrives: Cases Are On The Rise In Fairfield County

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. — The flu season has begun in Connecticut, and state health officials are advising everyone to get a flu shot.

It's now flu shot season.

It's now flu shot season.

Photo Credit: Courtesy Flickr User GeorgieD

Flu activity has been increasing in Connecticut since the end of August, according to the first weekly report on flu season issued last week by the state Department of Public Health.

A total of 23 cases of influenza have been reported from Aug. 27 to Oct. 7, with cases reported in six of the state's eight counties.

The most cases have been reported in Fairfield County, with 10 reports; New Haven County with six; Hartford County with four; and Middlesex, New London, and Tolland Counties with one each. No cases have yet been reported in Litchfield or Windham Counties.

Of the 23 cases, 14 were Type A (subtype unspecified), six were Type A (H3N2), one was Type A (2009 H1N1), and two were influenza B virus, public health officials said.

And with the 23 cases, eight people had to be hospitalized.

Statewide, visits to hospital emergency departments attributed to the “fever/flu syndrome” are beginning to increase and are now at 4.2 percent. A level of 5 percent statewide is considered the minimum threshold when there are elevated influenza-associated ED visits.

It is time to get a flu vaccine, which is the best way to prevent becoming ill, and take other steps to prevent influenza-related illness and hospitalization. 

Click here for Connecticut 211 for more information on flu shots.

For more information on flu in Connecticut, click here for the seasonal flu page at the Department of Public Health. 

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