Juneau's rate of confirmed flu cases has dropped sharply after an unusually early surge, but infections are still rising across Alaska, the Juneau Empire reports.
State health figures show the capital's rate fell to 50.9 cases per 100,000 people in the week to 10 October, down by nearly two-thirds on the previous week. Statewide, Alaska recorded 285 confirmed cases that week, up from 272, compared with just 14 in the same week last year.
Bartlett Regional Hospital said it had 22 flu admissions in September, well before the usual late-October rise. Its infection prevention lead said many were older cruise passengers who fell ill while travelling, and cases later appeared among school-age children. Visitors tested in Juneau can be counted in the city's figures, which may push its rate higher. Health officials continue to recommend annual flu vaccination.
Source: Juneau Empire
Photo: Downtown Juneau, Juneau, AK 99801, USA – panoramio (7) by Michael Boyd, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative image of Juneau.
