From its perch with the highest public school absenteeism rate in the state earlier this month, Baxter County now matches the state average at 7 percent for the reporting week ending Saturday.
During the flu season, the Arkansas Department of Health produces a Weekly Influenza Report for clinicians. The report provides information on flu activity in the state.
The report reflects a significant absenteeism drop for Searcy County, now at 8.51 percent, down from its previous rate of 11.35 percent the week before. At that point, Searcy was among five counties across the state in the 10 to 15 percent range for absenteeism.
Elsewhere in North Central Arkansas, three other counties remain above the state average of 7 percent. Marion County’s absenteeism rate stood at 8.65, Newton at 7.75 and Izard at 7.07 percent.
Fulton at 6.41 and Stone at 5.82 were below the state average.
As of Saturday, ADH was aware 11 schools closed briefly due to the flu.
Since September 30th, 2018, over 15,200 positive influenza tests have been reported to the ADH online database by health care providers. In week seven, 71 counties reported influenza cases.
The report also compares influenza-like illness in Arkansas to activity in the U.S. ADH receives reports of only a fraction of flu cases. Therefore, department officials note it is important to understand the information in the weekly update is representative of the timing and location of activity, but it does not reflect the overall burden of disease. It is presumed there are many more people actually affected than the report shows.
Among flu antigen tests that can distinguish between influenza A and B virus types, 92 percent were influenza A, and 8 percent were influenza B.
To date, 31 influenza-related deaths have been reported in Arkansas this flu season, including one pediatric death. CDC has reported a total of 34 pediatric deaths nationwide this season.
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