Influenza activity is up in Wisconsin, as the H1N1 flu virus continues to spread.
There are a growing number of flu cases, according to Stephanie Marquis with the state Health Department. She says influenza activity has increased in all five regions of Wisconsin that officials track, and is much higher than normal for this time of year.
However, Marquis says those numbers may be up because of the heightened awareness of the H1N1 flu virus. She says there are plenty of other illnesses going around this time of year, and testing shows that only about 23-percent of those being tested actually have influenza.
Concerns about H1N1 have resulted in some schools temporarily closing across the state. Marquis says that’s often a last resort to protect students when they have a relatively high absentee rate. For many of those that have shutdown recently, up to 40-percent of the student body was out sick.