Influenza cases surge across Massachusetts

By Madalyn Jimiera

As temperatures drop across Massachusetts, influenza cases are rising at an unexpected rate. The current estimated severity of the virus is labeled as “very high,” according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. 10 percent of illness visits last week were linked to influenza-like symptoms, almost double from the beginning of January. 

Other respiratory illnesses, like SARS and RSV, have dropped significantly since last month, according to wastewater data. This exhibits a phenomenon known as viral interference, where one virus (in this case, influenza) inhibits the effects of others. 

There are growing concerns, however, about the interaction between influenza and the H5N1 flu virus, or bird flu. Infectious disease specialists worry that the lingering influenza virus will enter into the system of someone with bird flu, opening up the opportunity for the virus to mutate to allow human-to-human transmission. 

With another surge of influenza in Massachusetts, doctors are advising residents to continue receiving their flu shots. Only 38 percent of residents received their flu vaccine this season, down 7 percent from 2021, according to state public health data. Infectious disease specialists say this influenza surge may take several weeks to die down, so it is not too late to receive a flu vaccine to protect against the virus.