Seasonal influenza activity remains high across the country and within Flathead County.

“As I’m sure most folks have seen, we’ve seen an increase in influenza both on a national level and a local level,” Lisa Dennison, Flathead County population health manager said at a Feb. 20 Flathead City-County Board of Health meeting. 

The season is considered a high severity season overall, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updates from Feb. 15. It is the first high severity season since the 2017-18 season.  

The CDC estimates that there have been 33 million illnesses, 430,000 hospitalizations and 19,000 deaths from influenza this season.  

Flathead County has had 111 influenza hospitalizations since January 2024, with a total of nine deaths. Last month alone, the county saw 18 hospitalizations and one death.

As of Feb. 15, the county had 1,276 cases of influenza reported through surveillance activities, Dennison said.  

Statewide, Montana is experiencing widespread influenza activity with cases and outbreaks reported in 96% of counties around the state as of Feb. 11, according to the state Department of Public Health and Human Services. 

As of last week, the state agency reported 9,232 cases-to-date, 519 hospitalizations and 21 deaths.   

Dennison described the season so far as a bit unique in that the trends model flu activity prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Those include peaks at the end of January and in early February rather than earlier in the season.  

An increased use of nonpharmaceutical interventions, such as mask wearing and social distancing, during the pandemic decreased the risk and spread of respiratory diseases, including influenza, which in turn affected influenza cases and trends, Dennison said.  

“As we move further out of the pandemic and society returns to pre-pandemic behaviors, influenza trends are beginning to look similar to the general patterns that occurred in the past, meaning that the highs and lows of case numbers during this flu season are on similar timeframes to the highs and lows of flu seasons in previous non-pandemic years,” Dennison said. 

Not all influenza cases are reported, so the numbers could be higher.  

“We’re also seeing an uptick here in the hospital of influenza positive cases,” Dr. Cory Short, chief medical officer at Logan Health, said earlier this month. Short said that he expects to see a rise in cases in February, similar to national trends. 

For the past few years, January was the month that saw an uptick in cases, he said.  

Prevention includes wearing a mask if you must come into close contact with someone and don’t feel well, staying home and washing hands.  

Short also mentioned the importance of vaccinating.  

“I can't stress the flu vaccine enough, people should have conversations with their physicians and primary care providers about it,” Short said. “The vaccine does a nice job if you get the flu, it will lower the severity of your illness.” 

If chest pressure, high fever, and a lack of food or water consumption persist, Short recommended seeing a doctor.  

Dennison also noted that pertussis, or whooping cough, is still circulating in the Flathead Valley with 16 cases in January 2025. Covid-19 continues to spread as well with 156 cases in January.  

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or [email protected].