Arkansas influenza fatalities rise to 28

Influenza activity has surged again in Arkansas after a brief dip in cases, said Gary Wheeler, branch chief of infectious disease at the Arkansas Department of Health.

“I think there was some speculation that we were on our way down last week, but what we saw was a little curve down,” Wheeler said. “We are now on our way back up again.”

As of Tuesday, Wheeler said, there have been 28deaths from the flu in the state this flu season. The death toll increased by five since Jan. 20, he said. The previous week three people died. Also, there have been 207 hospitalizations since Jan. 20 and 158 the previous week, he said.

“The flu is at the highest intensity level,” Wheeler said. “It continues to affect every county and all age groups.”

Meanwhile, a Fort Smith woman who contracted the H1N1 flu strain and was flown Jan. 14 to a St. Louis hospital for treatment, remains in critical condition, said Chris Creekmore, the woman’s husband.

Creekmore said Tuesday night that Leslie Creekmore, 29, was still in a drug-induced coma with several machines being used to reduce the work of some of her vital organs such as the heart and lungs. However, he said, she is stable, and a ventilator has slowly been decreased from a 90 percent oxygen level to 70 percent.

“She is still in a lot of danger but not as much as before,” Creekmore said. “We have more hope on the horizon.”

Leslie, a children’s librarian with Fort Smith Public Libraries, was admitted to Mercy Hospital in Fort Smith on Jan. 11 and transferred three days later to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Creekmore said. He said she has been in critical condition since she was admitted there.

Creekmore is staying in a camping trailer on some property owned by the hospital. He rotates shifts with other family members sitting by her bedside. He said the ordeal has been difficult, particularly because he doesn’t have his wife to talk to about it.

“I will pick up my phone to text Leslie,” Creekmore said. “Every single day, I keep catching myself turning to tell her something. It is like that over and over again. Normally during these type of things, the life-altering stuff, you have each other. That is what we signed up for when we got married.”

On Wednesday, Barnes-Jewish Hospital had 14 patients in intensive care who had tested positive for influenza, said Sarah Kinkade, senior media relations coordinator for the hospital. She couldn’t confirm where the patients are from.

Wheeler said it is possible that this flu season in Arkansas will be as bad, if not worse, than the 2012-13 season. Sixty-one people died during the 2012-13 season. Health officials have said it was the deadliest flu season in more than 30 years.

“I think if we have one death, that is too many,” Wheeler said. “If we have a fully immunized population, we might not have any deaths. If we can achieve an 80 percent immunization level in any group, whether it be the entire state or one office building, than those in that population are relatively protected. Until we get to those high levels, then we are going to continue being vulnerable to having death in our community.”

Creekmore said his wife did not get a flu shot because she was pregnant and they had information advising that she wait to get a vaccination until she was in her second trimester.

However, the Arkansas Department of Health and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that pregnant woman get flu shots at any point during their pregnancies.

Leslie miscarried shortly after she arrived at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Creekmore said.

An extra corporeal membrane oxygenation machine has been used to oxygenate Leslie’s blood, Creekmore said. She underwent a procedure to hook her up to the machine on Jan. 20. The machine is used to give her heart and lungs a rest.

“There have been so many times where it was a long shot, and she would make it through it,” Creekmore said.

He said it has been encouraging to hear stories about how other people have been in the same situation as Leslie and have fully recovered. He said people have contacted him with these stories from across the country.

A Facebook page titled “Love for Leslie” was set up by Creekmore’s sister to provide updates on Leslie’s condition. It has more than 5,000 followers, and many people share their own stories there.

Creekmore said he continues to share Leslie’s story to encourage people to get vaccinated. He said he thinks Leslie will appreciate that her situation is being used to promote a good cause.

“We have heard from a lot of people who have started getting flu shots for the first time ever this year after hearing about Leslie,” Creekmore said. “When Leslie wakes up, I need to have all the good news I can to soften the blow from all the bad news coming.”

Amber Pugh of Lavaca said Leslie’s story changed her mind about getting a flu shot. Pugh is 30 weeks pregnant with her sixth child. She was told about Leslie’s case during a regular checkup Tuesday.

“My doctor asked me if I had my flu shot,” Pugh, 31, said. “I have never had one. I am just never worried about myself. He told me Leslie’s story and said that I really needed to get one.”

Pugh said she got a flu shot immediately after leaving the doctor’s office.

“I then went home and Googled Leslie’s story and found out more about her,” Pugh said. “I have shared her story on my personal Facebook page because I have a lot of friends right now who are pregnant. I am wanting to make sure that we can get her story out there and prevent this from happening anymore.”