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Flu may hit you early

UA cases could show what's coming
Posted at 7:19 PM, Sep 12, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-12 22:19:10-04

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Temps are still over a hundred but soon the heat outside won't be the only temperature you're worried about.

You could be fighting a fever before too long.  Health experts think we could be seeing an early start to the flu season.

Maybe you've got a little bit of a sore throat, you're kind of tired, kind of dragging. We've been hearing that something seems to be going around to the point where some drug stores are even having trouble keeping certain prescriptions in stock.

UA Freshman Shanece Hunsaker has seen a lot of classmates get sick. 

"I know it was like feverish and people were throwing up but other than that I know a lot of people have had had stuffy nose and roommates have been getting sick."
     
University of Arizona is a prime place for something contagious to spread.  The Campus Health Service tells us some of the illness spread among sororities. It's a typical time for female students to mix and mingle as sororities recruit for the year. 

UA Junior Mallory McMurrey says "I went to the Campus Health Center here at the U of A and just the nurse there recommended I get the flu shot because the outbreak has started for the season."
     
At the Pima County HealthDepartment Dr. Carlos Perez-Velez says it's too soon to officially declare the flu season's started but there's at least one confirmed case. He says it looks like the same flu that just made for a tough flu season in Australia is showing up here---with a boost from the fact UA attracts students from all over the world.

He says, "With globalization it is nowadays becoming more blurry the seasons for flu between hemispheres so it's probably through travel that the H3N2 arrived here."
       
The doctor says other milder viruses may also be making the rounds.  He says this year's flu shot is already available and it's not too soon to get one, and it's always good advice to be careful about washing your hands.