H1N1 flu cases rising throughout Utah

Though no new deaths from the H1N1 flu have been reported in Utah in the past two weeks, the rate of the disease throughout the state is trending upward.

Tom Hudachko, spokesman for the Utah Department of Health, said while the rate as of Wednesday is at 1.0, which is below the "outbreak" stage, 21 new cases of the virus have been confirmed by the state's public health laboratory in the last two weeks..

That's out of 70 samples, which were submitted from selected hospitals and clinics from among people who have come in with flu-like symptoms, Hudachko said.

Ten new hospitalizations also were reported for both the seasonal and the H1N1 flu. In the past few months, the department only reported H1N1 hospitalizations. However, because the department is beginning the new flu reporting year this month, Hudachko said, officials have decided to track the circulation of all types of flu viruses as well as the severity of cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

The circulation tracking will be based on reporting to the health department by a number of sentinel clinics and hospitals statewide on the number of people they see with flu-like symptoms.

While the rate of H1N1 circulating in the state doesn't match what's happening in the southeastern U.S., "it's certainly high considering the time of year we're in," Hudachko said. "We're still under that outbreak threshold, but the fact that we're seeing a climb right now and that nationally it's really climbing" is of concern to public health officials.

Eleven states — mostly in the southeast and including Arizona — are now reporting widespread H1N1 activity, and "that's very unusual (based on seasonal flu patterns) at this time of year."

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