District 196 Flu Cases Tame Compared to Last Year
Public health education and awareness in Apple Valley schools are helping prevent the spread of influenza, health officials said.
Infants, pregnant women, senior citizens and people with chronic health conditions are prone to catch the influenza virus. But according to health officials, school-age children are some of the primary spreaders of infection. "Kids congregate," said Kathy Wick, supervisor of the Disease Prevention and Control program for the Dakota County Public Health Department, located in Apple Valley. "There are a lot of opportunities for exposure, especially considering that kids are not always the best at following the preventative measures." But three months into the flu season, Independent School District 196 nurse Shelley Kilgore said she has documented significantly fewer cases of Influenza Like Illness, or ILI, than last year. Someone with ILI …
