Influenza A cases rise in Northern Wisconsin

Flu season is picking up across Wisconsin, and hospitals in northern parts of the state are seeing more patients with influenza A.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, emergency department visits for Influenza A are at very high activity levels and are continuing to increase in Northern Wisconsin. 

Melissa Malmberg is a nurse practitioner who works in the emergency department at Tamarack Health in Ashland. She says she’s seeing it firsthand among patients.

“We’re seeing a lot of patients daily who are coming in that are positive for the symptoms. And even in the United States, this flu season has been very high this year. It’s one of the worst flu seasons ever,” says Malmberg.

Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 180,000 people have been hospitalized with the flu so far this season and 7,400 have died. That includes 17 reported child deaths, one of which was in Wisconsin. 

Malmberg says the most common symptoms to watch for are fever, cough, congestion, body aches, headaches, and fatigue. She adds that in some cases, the hospital is also seeing pneumonia develop after the flu virus has run its course.

“It’s making people very short of breath this year,” says Malmberg.

She says those at the highest risk for influenza A include children under six months, people with chronic respiratory conditions like asthma or COPD, those who are immunocompromised, pregnant women, and adults 65 and older.

To avoid getting sick, Malmberg says the best prevention is getting the yearly flu vaccine. She adds that simple steps like frequent handwashing, wiping down surfaces, and staying home if you’re sick, can also help reduce the spread.

According to DHS data, only about 30% of Wisconsinites have received a flu vaccine so far this season. At about 28 %, Sawyer County is slightly below the statewide average.