Flu season back, local health officials say

Flu cases are popping up in Lincoln County, though local health officials believe that many are going unreported.

Updating county commissioners on the annual flu season, Public Health Manager Jennifer McCully said the region had seen about 50 cases as of March 9 and one hospitalization. The number of cases reported decreased this year, which McCully attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“People are assuming [they have] COVID-19 and staying home, and as long as they’re staying home — that’s great,” she told commissioners.

As of March 5, the state had confirmed 4,158 cases for the 2021-22 influenza season, according to statistics compiled by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. By that same date, the state had attributed 127 hospitalizations and four deaths to the virus.

Montana confirmed no cases of influenza during the 2020-2021 season.

State officials say Influenza A is the dominant strain this year.

“Reported hospitalizations peaked during the first week of January this year and have since decreased, though we did see a substantial increase in hospitalizations during week nine,” reads the state’s weekly influenza summary for March 5. “Of those hospitalized, the majority have been individuals over 65 years old.”

Lincoln County confirmed its first case of influenza in the final quarter of 2021.