Pennsylvania Flu Cases Increasing Rapidly

Flu cases in Pennsylvania are increasing rapidly.

At the end of December, there were 5,153 lab-confirmed cases in the commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said. As of Monday, there were 17,986 cases.

The Health Department said that 36 people have died this flu season.

In the Philadelphia region, the number of confirmed cases to date are as follows:

• Bucks County: 629
• Chester County: 482
• Delaware County: 447
• Montgomery County: 966
• Philadelphia County: 352

Of this season’s flu cases, 94.1 percent are the AH3 strain, the Health Department said.

Lab-confirmed flu cases represent only a fraction of those with the flu, state health officials say, because most people “do not go to the doctor or are not tested or reported.”

The Pennsylvania Health Department considers the flu “widespread,” which means that cases have been identified “in at least half the regions of the state.” The flu is now widespread in 46 states, the Centers for Disease Control says.

Find information about flu vaccines, including where you can get one, here.