What a difference a week makes. Flu activity in Mississippi, which had been third-lowest in the nation, has leapfrogged more than two dozen other states. And our CDC classification has gone from “minimal” to “high.” We’re still seeing less flu than three of our neighboring states, Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee, with the same level of flu activity as Arkansas now. The Health Department says Mississippi’s flu rate is 4.7 per cent. During the week ending January 24th doctors across the state reported treating 678 patients with flu-like illnesses.
Every public health district in Mississippi saw increases in flu cases. In the district which includes Attala, Holmes, Carroll and Montgomery counties and much of the Delta, the flu rate jumped to 15 per cent. In the district which includes Leake and Neshoba counties, it’s now almost 6 per cent and in the district which includes Winston and Choctaw counties, it’s just over 4 per cent.
