A decrease in flu cases this year, both nationally and on the Syracuse University campus, may be due to the warm winter season.

‘The warmer winter months may play a role. The influenza virus is better able to survive and circulate in colder, drier environments,’ said Maureen Thompson, an associate professor at the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

As of Feb. 29, there were 21 confirmed cases of the influenza virus at SU, compared to 165 cases last season, Thompson said. She said influenza cases typically peak in January and February, but there have been years in which cases peaked in March and April.

The definite reason for the lower numbers is, however, difficult to determine, Thompson said.

The warmer winter may not be the only cause for the lower number of reported flu cases. Because the 2011-12 strain of the influenza virus is very similar to the 2010-11 strain, prior exposure to last year’s strain and vaccinations may actually cause individuals to be more immune than in past years, Thompson said.

In early March, the United States experienced a relatively low number of flu illnesses as well, according to a weekly influenza report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

‘Nationally, the numbers of confirmed influenza cases for 2011-2012 are dramatically lower than last season,’ Thompson said. ‘Onondaga County follows this pattern.’

Although SU Health Services greatly publicized free flu vaccine opportunities this past winter through campus-wide emails, a relatively low number of students received the vaccination, Thompson said. She said this is interesting because the number of people who get vaccinated affects how many people contract the virus.

‘Even though I didn’t get the flu shot, the emails made me more aware and more cautious so I wouldn’t get sick,’ said Amy Zuckerman, a freshman psychology major.

Thompson said SU students are not the only ones skipping out on vaccinations. Only 23 percent of adults ages 18 to 49 typically receive the vaccine.

In contrast to this year’s trend at SU, the rates of influenza vaccines are increasing on a national level, Thompson said. The higher number of vaccinations nationally results in a smaller number of those contracting the illness.

Although vaccination rates are not reported for Central New York, Thompson said, access to the vaccine has been promoted through the availability of flu shots at pharmacies.

Thompson said the low number of individuals reported with influenza is surprising, but influenza is a highly unpredictable virus.

knvanbru@syr.edu 

Published on March 19, 2012 at 12:00 pm