University of Michigan student health service reports spikes in flu-related visits

The University of Michigan Health Service is seeing a spike in flu-related visits from university students as public health officials track the possible transmission of the swine flu, officials say.

On average, the service was seeing about 40 to 50 students a day over the past week who had flu-like symptoms, said Robert Ernst, director of the U-M's University Health Service.

Last week, about a dozen students on average were visiting the service.

"We're seeing a higher volume than we would typically see. It is unusual to see this many cases of the flu this early in the fall," he said.

While the clear increase is being watched closely, the numbers seem to have leveled off and are not yet concerning, Ernst said. So far, no large clusters of the flu have emerged, and no health staff have had to miss work due to the flu.

Generally, those who become sick with the flu are not tested to confirm what type of flu they have, so it's unclear how many cases of H1N1 there have been.

About 10 students have been tested a day, and all the confirmed flu cases have been the H1N1 virus, not the seasonal flu. That shows the only flu virus that's circulating is the H1N1 virus, Ernst said.

Large public gatherings hold the largest potential for the spread of the flu.

With the home football game against Eastern Michigan University today, health officials are urging those who are ill to stay home and reminding people to be vigilant about hand cleanliness.

During fall rush for the U-M Greek community, several members of a sorority reported having flu symptoms. The health service worked with Greek organizations on campus to revise some rush traditions, including not allowing potential members to tour private areas of the residences and encouraging participants not to share food or drinks.

Tina Reed writes about health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at tinareed@annarbor.com.