<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=40vnWP_1GxHjss700" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=40vnWP_1GxHjss700" width="1200" height="801" ></figure>Flu activity is increasing earlier than expected in Dane County — in September, flu air samples from three of 27 schools were detected, compared to zero cases at the same time last year, according to a press release from Public Health Madison &amp; Dane County.While overall rates remain low, school air samples, wastewater findings and emergency department visits point toward an earlier start, according to University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David O’Connor.“This year, three of the schools that had air samplers last year had influenza A … So that gives us an indication that flu season might arrive early this year because we have people in the community who are infected with influenza A earlier,” David O’Connor said.Wisconsin saw a surge in flu cases last year, with influenza A being the most frequently reported, according to Channel 3000.Because repeated nasal swabs to test for COVID-19 became difficult for students, researchers began exploring air sampling as another way to monitor respiratory viruses, according to David O’Connor.After several years of collecting samples, the team established a baseline for when different viruses typically appear in participating schools, David O’Connor explained.“Before this September, we had never seen influenza A, which is one of the two main viruses that we account for in the flu season … in schools in September in the years that we’ve been testing,” David O’Connor said.Despite the fact that earlier detections are present, researchers have not yet established why flu activity started sooner, David O’Connor explained. Evaluating the scientific basis will require additional data over several months.To collect samples, cartridges were placed in air samplers located in cafeterias and other busy spaces, which are eventually returned to researchers so they may test for different respiratory pathogens, according to UW Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Shelby O’Connor.By collecting air samples, researchers can monitor spaces used by many students, while not interrupting their day-to-day activities, according to Shelby O’Connor. While this method allows researchers a way to observe and identify viruses circulating in student spaces, it doesn’t identify individuals who contributed to the sample, Shelby O’Connor explained.“We have no idea how many people are providing it,” Shelby O’Connor said. “We just know that it’s in that airspace.”The school program collects air throughout the week, combining information from that period into one sample, Shelby O’Connor explained.Her team also collects specific data from different levels of education between high school, middle school and elementary schools, which are published in online databases that allow Dane County residents and schools to act accordingly, according to Shelby O’Connor.While elementary schools’ data has positive hits for virus detection, data tends to be skewed because of the increased number of elementary schools relative to high schools and middle schools, Shelby O’Connor said.“So when we look at the elementary schools, we have a lot of samples,” Shelby O’Connor said. “You can see the denominators are quite big. Unfortunately, when you get to middle schools, we have … fewer samples.”Infection data can also be skewed by external factors outside of the physical school environment, classroom and student-to-student interactions, Shelby O’Connor explained.The household environment specifically further complicates infection data as siblings attending different school levels may transmit infections at home, creating transmissions between levels of education that cannot be detected by traditional air sampling, according to Shelby O’Connor.“There can be transmission then within the household, as there may be people who are positive at the high school because their brother or sister who was in third grade infected them,” Shelby O’Connor said.The team shares air sampling results with public health officials, and residents can view findings through public dashboards created by her team, Shelby O’Connor said. Schools are also given early access to data that has not yet been released to the public so they may take preventative measures to prevent further spread, according to Shelby O’Connor.The team also monitors Madison clinics and pharmacies alongside monitoring schools, though those locations tend to represent Dane County’s broader community instead of focusing on students, Shelby O’Connor explained.For Dane County residents who are considering receiving their flu vaccine, earlier circulation makes waiting less advisable, according to David O’Connor. Vaccine composition is determined months in advance, and while every year protection varies and doesn’t guarantee being free from infection, getting the vaccine can reduce the risk of severe illness, David O’Connor explained.“There’s really good evidence that the vaccine helps prevent very severe illness,” David O’Connor said. “And so it’s always a good idea to get the flu vaccine.”</div></body>

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Flu activity is increasing earlier than expected in Dane County — in September, flu air samples from three of 27 schools were detected, compared to zero cases at the same time last year, according to a press release from Public Health Madison & Dane County. While overall rates remain...

School air samples signal early flu activity in Dane County

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Flu activity is increasing earlier than expected in Dane County — in September, flu air samples from three of 27 schools were detected, compared to zero ca

School air samples signal early flu activity in Dane County

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