Our statewide flu rate is up. And it’s exploded in part of the local area. The State Health Department says, for the week ending December 27th, just over 5 per cent of patients seeing their doctors had flu-like symptoms, an increase from just under 4 per cent the week before. But the most dramatic jump was in the public health district which includes Attala, Holmes, Carroll, and Montgomery counties and much of the Delta. There the flu rate, which was already the highest in the state at over 11 per cent, skyrocketed to almost 27 per cent. State Epidemiologist Dr. Renia Dotson says it’s hard to explain..
“That has been a conundrum for us for years, why we see such increased rates. I don’t have a good handle on the actual immunization rates there. We haven’t really been able to pinpoint exactly a cause….”
In the public health district which includes Leake and Neshoba counties, the flu rate is now almost 7 per cent. But it’s fallen to 5 and a half per cent in the district which includes Winston and Choctaw counties.
The CDC now classifies flu activity in Mississippi as “high”. But it could be worse. And in most of the country, it is. Only nine states have a lower flu rate than Mississippi. All of our neighboring states have a “very high” number of flu cases.
Chef Trey
January 7, 2026 at 1:39 pmIn the delta, the rate is most likely the highest rate is because of farming. The crop dusters fly lower over homes and directly of parts of small towns. This releasing harmful chemicals directly over people. The reason is to saving fuel,but exposing people in their yards and public places.