Scott Gordon

Series: The Flu And Wisconsin's Public Health

No two flu seasons are alike — from one year to the next, different types of the influenza virus dominate. Every year, virologists, health officials and healthcare providers marshall their resources to prevent and treat infections. When a flu season is particularly tough, as was the case in 2017-18, the illness tests limitations and vulnerabilities in the public health system. Wisconsin plays a crucial role in a nationwide network of influenza surveillance, which is also on guard for the emergence of a global flu pandemic. Meeting future challenges of influenza hinges on relationships that connect scientists and healthcare providers at local, state, federal and international levels.
 
Series: The Flu And Wisconsin's Public Health

UW Set To Resume Controversial Flu Research

Video: 
Frederica Freyberg
PBS Wisconsin
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is at the center of controversial avian influenza research that involves making the virus potentially more dangerous for humans. Will Cushman of WisContext discusses what it would mean for this research to resume.
Series: The Flu And Wisconsin's Public Health

Wisconsin Flu Season Has Been Milder Than Last Year But Health Officials Caution It's Not Over Yet

Audio: 
Shamane Mills
Wisconsin Public Radio
The seasonal flu has not hit the state or the country as hard as it did last year, which Wisconsin health officials described as "significant and strange."
Series: The Flu And Wisconsin's Public Health

Wisconsin Health Officials: Flu Season Was Significant, Strange

Audio: 
Shamane Mills
Wisconsin Public Radio
Health officials say flu season never really ends; it just gets better or worse. But it did end — at least briefly — in Wisconsin.
Series: The Flu And Wisconsin's Public Health

As Some Hospitals Lift Flu-Related Visitor Restrictions, DHS Warns Of Second Wave Of Flu

Audio: 
Ximena Conde
Wisconsin Public Radio
Visitor restrictions are being lifted in some hospitals as there are fewer reported cases of the flu but health officials warn the flu season is not over.
Series: The Flu And Wisconsin's Public Health

US In Grips Of Worst Flu Outbreak In Years

Audio: 
Patty Murray
Wisconsin Public Radio
During its weekly flu update conference call, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this season's flu outbreak came early and shows few signs of abating.
Series: The Flu And Wisconsin's Public Health

A Look Back At The Most Recent Flu Season In Wisconsin

Audio: 
Rob Ferrett
Wisconsin Public Radio
Several factors combined to make the 2017-18 flu season particularly bad in Wisconsin. Scott Gordon of WisContext discusses how serious it was.
Series: The Flu And Wisconsin's Public Health

Tracking The Flu In Wisconsin

Audio: 
Rob Ferrett
Wisconsin Public Radio
Wisconsin is in the midst the worst flu season in years, and public health officials are working to stop the spread of the disease. Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene communicable disease division director Peter Shult discusses efforts to track the virus.
Series: The Flu And Wisconsin's Public Health

As Flu Remains A Threat, Some Hospitals Enforce Stricter Visitation Rules

Audio: 
Ximena Conde
Wisconsin Public Radio
The severity of the flu season has prompted hospital systems like UW Health to have stricter enforcement of its visitor rules.
Series: The Flu And Wisconsin's Public Health

Health Officials: Get Your Flu Shot Early This Year

Gretchen Brown
Wisconsin Public Radio
Audio: 
Rob Ferrett
Wisconsin Public Radio
Facing a severe influenza strain and an early peak, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services is urging Wisconsinites to get vaccinated early this year.
Series: The Flu And Wisconsin's Public Health

Influenza 101: Be Prepared For The 2017-18 Flu Season

Colleen Leahy
Wisconsin Public Radio
Audio: 
Kate Archer Kent
Wisconsin Public Radio
As flu season begins and pharmacies start offering flu vaccinations, the perennial question of whether or not to get a shot arises.