LOS ANGELES (KTLA) — This season’s powerful influenza outbreak is being blamed for 5 deaths in California, including two in the Los Angeles area.
Flu activity has seen a steep increase in recent weeks with the state’s number of outpatient visits and hospitalizations higher than normal for mid-January, public health officials said Friday.
But health officials are equally concerned about record levels of infections with respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV — another virus that impacts the respiratory system, and which can be particularly dangerous in young children.
Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, told the L.A. Times that that many people who had shown up in local hospitals over the past six weeks or so complaining of flu-like illness actually had RSV, and that the county was experiencing the “highest level of RSV we’ve seen.”
The county’s most recent Influenza Watch report said RSV prevalence at the end of the December was the highest recorded in the last three years.
In all, 460 people have tested positive for the virus this season — 143 of them just in the last week of 2012.
In adults, RSV infection can seem like a flu, causing a runny nose, a sore throat and an all-around sick feeling.
In young kids, it can be very serious, Fielding said.
Children with RSV, and particularly premature infants, can develop fever, a croupy cough, rapid breathing and cyanosis, the bluish tinge that skin gets when oxygen levels fall. It also can result in complications such as ear infections, bronchitis or pneumonia, he added.
During a conversation with reporters on Friday, U.S Centers for Disease Control director Dr. Thomas Frieden said that he thought many of the reports of rampant flu might reflect the large numbers of people visiting their doctors with stomach woes from norovirus or respiratory ills from RSV or even the common cold.
16 Comments to “Local Flu Cases Double, But Another Virus is Spreading Faster”
January 18, 2013 at 2:15 PM
Oh my god – can we get a more objective report with comparable numbers that don't instigate fear and panic – super flu?
5 deaths in California out of 38,041,430 – geez!
January 18, 2013 at 3:05 PM
WOW!….THE NEGROES & MEXICANS & OTHER SPANISH SPEAKING MONGROLS KILL MORE THAN 5 PEOPLE IN 1 HOUR IN LA & CA EVERYDAY!……WHERE'S THAT HEADLINE?……LMFAO @ THESE PC NEWS MEDIA OUTLETS!……
January 18, 2013 at 10:40 PM
white people kill people to(like that guy in laguna niguel who blew his wife away in the early morning) and lets not even get started on all those 'coaches' in who molest all of those kids of which 98% are white.
January 19, 2013 at 7:16 AM
But Mark, just think of how many serial killers are ignorant white trash like you! Wow…pretty scary huh?
January 19, 2013 at 10:00 AM
PROBABLY MARK DIDNT EVEN GET TO FINISH HS!!! HAHAHHAHA PRETTY DUMB AND IGNORANT!!! =)
January 27, 2013 at 10:16 PM
what a sad fool that has to spew this crap because he has no life. pathetic
January 18, 2013 at 4:25 PM
just before I saw the check which was of $4698, I have faith …that…my best friend was truley bringing in money in their spare time at there computar.. there dads buddy started doing this for less than seventeen months and at present repaid the morgage on there house and got a great new volvo. go to, jump15.comCHECK IT OUT
January 18, 2013 at 5:36 PM
FYI, the flu shot DOES NOT protect against RSV. Buy Black Edlerberry. 175mg 4 times daily. Half for children. Absolutely no negative side effects but it also hinders H1N1. Look it up.
January 18, 2013 at 5:44 PM
@MARK…. AND THE WHITE PPL THAT GO ON KILLING SPREES SO STFU!!! THANK U =)
January 18, 2013 at 10:28 PM
I had those symptoms am just getting over the flu in which i caught jan 4 the best thing is 7 up once I put down one I started to feel better no joke and took rubin tusin if that did not work then I go see the DR
but am still caughing but not as much also if your chest is tight you got a lot of flem get rid of all flem and blow the nose this will get the crud out of you
January 19, 2013 at 5:44 AM
My 15 year old grandson was diagnosed with RSV got meds, but kept getting more ill…….went to another doctor and found out he had a full blown flu illness instead of RSV. He is very ill…….not much you can do for a virus but drink plenty of liquids and take ibuprofen.
January 19, 2013 at 8:30 AM
I died from the flu once.
January 19, 2013 at 12:26 PM
Nothing to worry about…it's just your typical state-sponsered poisoned flu vaccine population reduction agenda with nice media propaganda thrown in….happens every winter…..you'll get used to it.
January 19, 2013 at 6:40 PM
IT'S TRUE
January 19, 2013 at 12:53 PM
I bet the NRA is responsible. I mean the YE HA Clan! lol
January 19, 2013 at 2:30 PM
Honestly, your a stupid man! I bet your parents are proud of your ignorance!!