SEASONAL AILMENT ARRIVES EARLY Flu reported in Jefferson County

With the first case of influenza confirmed in Jefferson County last week and several others in five other Montana counties, it looks as if the 2017-18 flu season has begun. 

The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) announced Friday that 14 laboratory-confirmed influenza infections were reported across the state, with three of them hospitalized. 

Ages of the patients ranged from infant to 91 years. Other counties reporting flu were Cascade, Lewis and Clark, Missoula, Flathead, and Yellowstone. This is an abrupt start to the season, and it is not possible to predict if the season is going to have sustained activity over the next several months or if it will quiet down for several weeks before it hits the state again.