Steve Quayle News Alerts

Nov. 4, 2003
By ERIC BERGER
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle Medical Writer

The flu virus has struck Texas far more harshly this year than any other state, federal health officials say.

Texas' dubious distinction as this season's national flu leader -- the official designation is "widespread" by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- is largely due to the outbreak in Houston, the epicenter of the virus this season, local health experts say.

So far, no state falls into the next highest category, "regional," and just two states, Louisiana and Alabama, have "local" activity. All other states report sporadic or no flu activity.

"Concern is a good word," CDC spokeswoman Rhonda Smith said. "But I don't want people to confuse that with being alarmed."

Why Texas grabbed the top spot in this year's flu race is probably due more to chance than anything else, health officials say.

The influenza virus moves between the Southern and Northern hemispheres with the change of seasons. When the weather gets cooler, the number of flu cases rises as people move indoors and share germs.

This fall an infected person or persons from the Southern Hemisphere brought the virus north to Houston. It could just as easily have begun in New York, Florida or elsewhere, doctors say.

"It's got to start somewhere," said Dr. Ralph Feigin, physician-in-chief of Texas Children's Hospital and chair of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. "We just drew the short straw this year."

The flu virus hit southeast Texas early in the season, gaining the attention of health officials in the first week of October. Absentee rates at some area high schools hit 10 percent within days, and several hospitals reported their emergency rooms were filling up with patients.

One local pediatrician said his practice had 220 patients test positive for the flu in the last two weeks.

"I've never seen the flu this bad," said Dr. Michael Bornstein, who has practiced for 10 years and has offices in Richmond and Sugar Land.

Despite the early onslaught, there are faint signs the flu may be reaching high tide in Houston.

The number of influenza cases per week at Texas Children's Hospital peaked at 129 in mid-October, and last week it dropped to 66 cases, although this is still an extraordinarily high number, experts say. In previous years, Texas Children's averaged 10 weekly cases or fewer during the season's peak.

Still, "it's a hopeful sign," Feigin said.

The news is not so good for Texas' neighbors. There is evidence the flu is now spreading to neighboring states.

According to CDC figures, nearly 7 percent of doctor's visits in the south central region of the United States -- Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana -- were for influenza in the week ending Oct. 25. The national average remains less than 2 percent.

Treating the flu requires fast action. Telltale signs include sudden headache, dry cough, aching muscles and a fever up to 104 degrees.

Anti-viral drugs are effective in knocking out the flu within a day or so if taken within the first 48 hours of the flu's onset, and the drugs can also reduce the likelihood of passing on the virus.

Relatively new, 10-minute tests for the flu virus help doctors diagnose flu faster, Bornstein said.

Of course, physicians say, the best cure is prevention: a flu shot. Although Houston is in the midst of a flu outbreak, it's still not too late to get one, experts say. The flu season should linger until February or March.

"It's still very important to get a flu shot if you haven't gotten one yet," said Doug McBride, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Health.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/2199351