Flu cases continue rising in Missouri

Flu cases continue to spike in Missouri as cold weather continues to sweep across the state.

There had been 30,932 influenza cases reported statewide as of Jan. 6, according to the latest numbers from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Last year around the same time, there had only been 4,151 cases.

Cole County has seen 623 influenza cases so far this flu season, according to DHSS. There have been 1,045 cases reported in Boone County, 137 in Callaway County, 130 in Miller County, 54 in Moniteau County and two in Osage County.

There were more than 70,000 confirmed influenza cases in Missouri during the 2016-17 flu season, according to the state health department.

Jaime Young, registered nurse and communicable disease coordinator for the Cole County Health Department, said residents should continue to wash their hands with soap and water and avoid close contact with sick people. She said the most important prevention technique against the flu is a flu shot.