COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Michigan health officials have elevated the state’s influenza activity to “high” this week as a potent new “super flu” variant, H3N2 subclade K, rapidly spreads across the Great Lakes Region.
First identified in August, this highly transmissible strain now accounts for approximately 90% of subtyped influenza A cases nationwide and features mutations that allow it to partially bypass immune defenses.
Despite a genetic mismatch between the current vaccine and this specific subclade, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) emphasizes that immunization remains essential for preventing severe illness and hospitalization during the peak holiday travel season.
Michigan is one of 14 states currently reporting “High” or “Very High” flu activity levels, according to the latest CDC tracking.
A 50-year-old woman recently died from the flu in Kalamazoo, and the G. Robert Cotton Prison in Jackson was temporarily closed due to confirmed cases.
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