NC flu cases continue to rise; officials urge action

RALEIGH (AP) -- North Carolina public health officials are urging people to take simple steps to limit the spread of the flu as cases continue to increase across the state. The state Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday that health care providers reported that 6.25 percent of its patients had flu-like illnesses last week. That's the second-highest figure since the surveillance system began in 2002. The state's highest flu rate was in mid-December 2003, when 7.7 percent of patients were reported to have influenza-like illness. State health officials said people need to wash their hands, cover their mouths when they cough and stay home if sick. They also encouraged people with flu symptoms to seek medical care. (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)