Influenza bug bites early

MAT-SU -- The earliest report of influenza in the Anchorage/Matanuska-Susitna region was on Nov. 3, a bit earlier than normal but nothing to be worried about, says Beth Funk, a medical epidemiologist with the Division of Public Health.

"We usually start seeing more influenza in the December, January, February time frame," Funk said. "But we have seen it as early as late October."

As of Nov. 25, there have been 71 cases of influenza reported around the state. But the early start of the influenza season hit only the Anchorage and Valley area; other cases of influenza around the state didn't start popping up until mid-month.

While influenza can hit at any time, Funk said the influenza season is generally between October and May. There are many theories to why influenza season hits during the fall/winter months, Funk said. While there is no way of knowing why it is a winter virus, Funk said people spending more time indoors, where they breath each other's air and the air is drier, and the start of the school season, are two possibilities.

"The respiratory track is drier because the heat is on," Funk said. "This may make people more susceptible."

Funk said the initial reports coming from the Valley and Anchorage areas may just be a case of larger hospitals being nearby. These hospitals may have been able to conduct rapid test for the virus, while smaller hospitals elsewhere may have had to wait for results using an influenza culture. Twenty-seven cases of influenza have been reported in this area, Southeast Alaska has had the most reported with 42 cases.

The early rise in influenza this year is not just happening in Alaska; according to the United States Centers for Disease Control, influenza cases across the nation have been unusually early this year.

Cases of influenza in Alaska:

Anchorage/Mat-Su: 27 cases

Gulf Coast: 0 cases

Interior: 1 case

Northern: 0 cases

Southeast: 43 cases

Southwest: 0 cases

Statewide: 71 cases