LEBANON, N.H. — The flu is making its mark in New Hampshire.
Health officials say there’s been an increase in people experiencing flu-like symptoms in recent weeks.
The state is now among eight in the country in which the flu is categorized as being “widespread.”
Beth Daly, chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control at the state Health and Human Services Department, told the Valley News that six of New Hampshire’s 10 counties are reporting a significant increase in people seeking medical care.
“There has been an increase in respiratory illnesses and lab-confirmed influenza,” Daly said.
December and January are typically when flu cases increase, she said.
At Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, regional hospital epidemiologist Dr. Michael Calderwood said it has had 12 patients test positive for influenza A in the past 10 days.
A report that tracks acute respiratory illnesses – such as fever, cough, and sore throat, in addition to the flu – at New Hampshire hospital emergency departments says Hillsborough, Rockingham and Grafton counties were “high” for the first week of January.
No counties have been listed as “very high.”
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