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• St. Croix County to open flu hotline Monday

Influenza activity is increasing in most of the United States with more than half of all states reporting widespread influenza activity.

In Wisconsin, influenza activity is also on the rise and cases have been reported in 48 of Wisconsin's 72 counties.

With this increase in influenza activity and as an effort to minimize its impact on county residents, St. Croix County's Public Health office will activate its flu phone bank (715-246-8224) on Monday, Oct. 12.

The phone bank will provide timely local information regarding both seasonal and H1N1 novel influenza. St. Croix County Public Health works closely with area medical clinics and hospitals, both regional and state DPH, and the Western Region Partnership for Public Health Preparedness Staff to assure that the most up to date information is communicated.

The phone bank includes:

General flu information including signs and symptoms

How to protect you and your family from the flu

Priority groups for H1N1 and seasonal vaccination

Public Health vaccination clinics, as they are scheduled

Area providers' vaccine availability, as reported weekly to Public Health

Additional influenza information resources

"The phone bank will be updated as often is necessary to keep the public motivated but not frantic, informed but not overwhelmed, and prepared but not panicked," says Geralyn Karl, St. Croix County health educator. "Besides utilizing the phone bank as a 'one-stop shop' for influenza information, we continue to encourage people to follow good hygiene precautions such as hand washing, covering their cough/sneeze with their sleeve or a tissue, and staying home when ill and calling their health care provider first rather than going directly to the ER or urgent care for treatment. We also remind parents that keeping sick children home from school until 24 hours after they are free of fever (100°F [37.8°C] or greater) with the aid of medication is the safest way to prevent the spread of any illness. And, get your seasonal flu shot as early as possible and watch for H1N1 clinics as the vaccine becomes more readily available."