Influenza cases have been surging in Maine during the past week, according to a report released Tuesday by Maine health officials.
Cases jumped from 131 in the week ending on Dec. 6 to 320 last week and flu hospitalizations went from 13 to 27 during the same time period, according to data from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
During peak flu season — which varies year to year but often occurs in late January or February — Maine will typically see thousands of cases reported per week. The state recorded 17,793 influenza cases during the 2024-25 flu season.
“It looks like we are on the cusp of the flu really hitting Maine,” Dr. Dora Anne Mills, chief health improvement officer for MaineHealth, said Tuesday.
Lindsay Hammes, a Maine CDC spokesperson, said the state is “beginning to see an uptick in cases being reported across Maine, as is consistent with this time of year as more people are spending more time with others, indoors.”
Mills said influenza is currently spiking in New York City and case increases often travel up the East Coast. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data lags the state by one week, but was showing “high” levels of flu in New York and New Jersey, “moderate” levels in Massachusetts and Connecticut and “minimal” levels in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Influenza symptoms include fever and chills, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, headache, fatigue and a runny nose.
With the holiday season in full stride and people gathering indoors in greater numbers, Mills said, it’s important to take precautions, primarily by getting vaccinated against influenza and COVID-19.
COVID-19 cases have been relatively flat this fall, according to the Maine CDC, at about 200 cases per week since September. Last winter, COVID-19 cases peaked at 936 during the first week of January.
The dominant strain so far this flu season is a more severe strain, especially for older people, Mills said. And while the flu shot is not a great match for circulating strains this winter, it’s still the best protection, she said.
For those who contract influenza after receiving the vaccine, the illness will be shorter in duration and less severe, Mills said.
“We know there’s a significant decrease in flu hospitalizations for those who get the vaccine,” Mills said.
In addition to getting immunized, Mills recommended staying home while sick, washing hands frequently and considering wearing a mask. For those who test positive for influenza, doctors can prescribe anti-viral medication, which can help ease symptoms.
