No Confirmed Flu Cases in Yellowstone County

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By Gillette Vaira

Story Published: Jan 26, 2012 at 6:47 PM MST

Story Updated: Jan 26, 2012 at 7:07 PM MST

BILLINGS - The State of Montana had a confirmed case of influenza in mid-January, but Riverstone Health says there have been none in Yellowstone County.

Signs of the flu include sore throat, cough, fever, body aches, and pains. The Community Health Services Director at Riverstone Health, Tamalee St. James, says people usually mistake Norovirus for influenza. Norovirus causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. She says Norovirus is highly contagious and usually runs its course in 24 hours.

"You can get it off of door handles, elevator buttons, if you're going through a buffet, you can pick it up on the handles that you're serving the food with," said St. James. "So the best defense against Norwalk is good hand washing, as well as the flu virus."

Norovirus is always in season, but people most often get it over the holidays and when they're in closed quarters. Influenza season typically starts in October and ends in April.

Riverstone Health and the two Billings hospitals have vaccinated 40,000 people against influenza during the 2011-12 flu season.

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