Swine flu cases up 34% on college campuses

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Influenza-like illnesses on college campuses, generally presumed to be pandemic H1N1 influenza, jumped 34% in the week ending Oct. 23, the largest surge of the academic year, according to data compiled by the American College Health Assn. A total of 8,861 new cases and 20 hospitalizations were reported by the 270 colleges and universities that provide data to the association. No deaths were reported.

Unexpectedly, a resurgence of flu activity was observed in several regions that had previously seen declines, including the Southeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.

‘Among over 3 million students, we have observed nearly 56,000 cases’ over nine weeks of the academic year, said Dr. James C. Turner, president of the ACHA and executive director of student health at the University of Virginia. ‘But there have been only 98 hospitalizations and no deaths, indicating this disease remains relatively mild.... This recent return of flu helps reaffirm the importance of vaccination once it becomes available.’

-- Thomas H. Maugh II