Australia experienced an early start to its flu season, which is beginning to cause a spike in illnesses. According to a recent CNN report, Australia’s rising flu cases may be in indicator of what is coming to the U.S. later this year.
The Australian Department of Health and Aged Care reported a sharp increase in cases in early May, accounting for case numbers higher than the country’s five-year average. Children appear to be getting sick more often than other age groups, and the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Epidemiology and Prevention Branch influenza division chief Carrie Reed said it’s worth U.S. scientists keeping an eye on.
“We closely monitor what happens in countries throughout the Southern Hemisphere this time of year, just to see what’s happening during their flu season,” she told CNN. “It’s not always a predictor of what’s going to happen here the next season, but yes, we do. We do closely monitor that all summer long.”
