North Dakota flu cases on the upswing

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Confirmed cases of the flu are starting to rise in North Dakota, and health officials are reminding state residents that it's not too late to get a flu shot.

State Health Department epidemiologist Lindsey VanderBusch tells The Forum newspaper that cases in the past week have jumped 16 percent to about 500. She says it's the first week the department is reporting widespread flu activity to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Officials say the upswing in cases is coming later than normal and the flu season hasn't peaked yet. Two North Dakotans have died from the flu so far this season.

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