10,000 cases: Flu outbreak in N.J. continues to surge

The flu is continuing to spread rapidly in New Jersey, with 3,000 additional cases reported in the state in the past week, pushing the total to more than 10,000 for the season, according to the latest statistics from the New Jersey Department of Health.

One pediatric death has also occurred from a flu-related illness this season in New Jersey.

So how long can this go on? According to health officials, it’s unclear when the tide will turn. Influenza is a capricious brute, and health officials say it’s impossible to predict its future patterns. However, the state Department of Health says “it is likely there will be significant flu activity for many weeks to come.”

According to the latest figures, there have been about double the number of flu cases than during the same period last year. Additionally, the dominant flu strain going around — the H3N2 virus — is among the most severe strains of the flu, causing more serious illness, especially among children and people 65 years and older.

However, compared to past years, this season has still had less severe cases and deaths than during the 2012-2013 flu season, which resulted in 89 severe cases and seven deaths. So far this year there has been 32 severe cases and one death, according to the latest data.

You may have heard the term “H3N2 virus” and that it is the dominant flu strain currently impacting the state and country this season. But what is it exactly, and why is it so dangerous and potentially deadly?

Don’t worry about an overly technical answer, because health experts are not even sure why the H3N2 strain is more severe than other flu viruses, like H1N1. But one theory, according to some researchers, is that H3N2 is able to mutate more quickly than other strains, according to STATNews.com.

And, according to NationalGeographic.com, people are less exposed to H3N2 compared to other strains over their lifetime, leaving their immune systems more vulnerable.