Alabama Department of Public Health issued an emergency alert last Thursday (1/11/2018) regarding this year’s outbreak of seasonal influenza (flu) in our area. Here’s what you need to know (from ADPH):

• Hospitals are at or over normal patient capacity due in large part to the number of patients
  presenting with seasonal influenza-like symptoms. Local emergency departments and
  outpatient clinics are also seeing very high volumes of patients.
• At this time, this is not a pandemic flu situation, but a major seasonal flu situation.
• Since early December, public health surveillance has noted widespread influenza activity in
  the state.
• Reports of influenza-like illness (ILI) in Alabama in the last couple of weeks have been
  almost three times the threshold for significant activity for the 2017-18 influenza season. The
  threshold is 3.4%.
• Predominant strains identified in specimens submitted to the State lab in the last couple of
  weeks have been A (H1N1) and A (H3). Nationally, no significant antiviral resistance has
  been identified. Visit http://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/influenza/index.html for more
  information

The full statement from the Alabama Department of Public Health can be seen here.

Click here to contact us today and make an appointment with today with one of the 11 Ear, Nose and Throat specialists at Premier Medical:

• Kimberly A. Elliott, MD
• J. Mark Harrison, MD
• Michael Rhodes Lee, MD
• Andrea B. McMurphy, MD
• Alfred M. Neumann, Jr., MD
• Richard L. Palesano, MD
• James K. Pitcock, MD
• James R. Spires, Jr., MD
• Brian P. Sullivan, MD
• Ron Swain, Jr., MD
• John S. Wilson, MD