Brookelynn Drake, 7 months, cries after getting a flu shot at Southern Nevada Health District, 330 S. Valley View Blvd., on Monday, Jan. 14, 2013.
Monday, Jan. 5, 2015 | 2 a.m.
As coughs, sore throats and fevers grip much of the country, Southern Nevada appears to have dodged an outbreak of the flu so far.
The number of influenza cases reported to the Southern Nevada Health District has been relatively low this season, with Clark County averaging two to three hospitalizations a week related to the virus, said Joseph Iser, the district’s chief health officer.
“Compared to the rest of the nation, we look good,” he said.
Emergency warning signs of flu in children:
• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Blue skin
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable he or she doesn't want to be held
• Symptoms improve but return with a fever and worse cough
• Fever with a rash
• Seek medical help right away for any infant who is unable to eat, is having trouble breathing, has no tears when crying or has significantly fewer wet diapers than normal.
Source: CDC
Based on the number of pneumonia and flu-related deaths nationally through Dec. 20, the Centers for Disease Control categorized the flu outbreak as an epidemic. Thirty-six states, including Colorado and Washington, had reported widespread influenza activity.
But don’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet. Southern Nevada’s flu season can ramp up in January and February, thanks to the region’s warmer fall weather that keeps people from being cooped up inside and spreading germs.
Many of the flu cases here over the past few weeks have affected children between the ages of 5 and 17 and adults older than 65, Iser said.
One Nevada child died from the flu in November, said Martha Framsted, spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. The death of the child, who was younger than 5 years old, did not occur in Clark County, but the exact location was not disclosed.
Worsening the situation this year is the H3N2 strain, which mutated after being included in the flu vaccine, Iser said. Still, he urged people to get flu shots — especially children and seniors — because they offer protection from other flu strains.
Iser said Southern Nevada is well stocked with anti-viral medication such as Tamiflu that lessens symptoms of the virus, which include coughing, sore throat, muscle aches and a fever higher than 101 degrees.
Aside from being vaccinated, people can best prevent the spread of the flu by coughing and sneezing into the crook of their arms and washing their hands frequently with soap and warm water, Iser said.
With 350,000 tourists in town to celebrate New Year’s Eve, it’s likely some germs were transferred to locals, but probably not as many as one might imagine, Iser said.
Annual flu-related deaths in the United States can range from fewer than 3,000 to nearly 49,000, according to the CDC.
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