Arizona flu related cases are on the rise

State Health Officials say flu cases are on the rise in the state of Arizona. While the flu season technically begins in early October to January, state health officials say that they have seen an increase in the number of cases for February. The Department of Health Services reported that there were 752 confirmed cases reported across the state in the beginning of this month, marking a significant increase from the 346 cases documented the previous week in January. Resident family medical doctor, Angelic Alvarez of Yuma Regional Medical Center says that in the recent months they have seen an increase of patients that have suffered flu like symptoms. “In the clinic we’ve seen more of an influx i would say. The majority of symptoms of the flu are headaches, severe body aches and then your high fever. You can distinguish that from just a regular cold because you don’t have that severe hit by a truck feeling that people get when they get the flu.” Officials say for this years flu season, the number of lab-confirmed cases rose to over 3,000 and while the virus is contagious, Doctor Alvarez says getting your flu vaccine as well as washing your hands on a regular basis is key to preventing the illness.