Feeling sick in the Kansas City area? These illnesses are circulating as weather warms
As the weather warms up, you still could be feeling under the weather. Reddit users complained about “this virus going around” on a recent thread on the Kansas City subreddit with over 200 responses.
Here are the illnesses transmitted in the Kansas City area. The most recent data available comes from the week of Feb. 25 to March 2.
Doctor visits for influenza-like illnesses – a fever with a cough and sore throat – were the highest this flu season during the week of Feb. 25, according to the CDC. This could include cases eventually diagnosed as influenza, COVID or RSV. The flu season began on Oct. 1, 2023.
Kansas City had 454 confirmed flu cases the week of Feb. 25, down from the previous two weeks. Those weeks in February were were the highest of 2024 so far, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Flu cases for Missouri are high, though still below last year’s peak cases, according to DHSS.
Wastewater monitoring shows what infectious diseases are in a community before people even get symptoms. Public health officials can use this information to predict illnesses. The non-profit WastewaterSCAN collects data from two Wyandotte County facilities: Kaw Point Wastewater Treatment Plant and Wastewater Treatment Plant 20. Data from other local facilities was unavailable.
Norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea, has been detected in higher amounts the rise since late January in the two wastewater plants. Since late February, rotavirus — which mostly affects babies and young children and causes diarrhea and vomiting — has been found more in wastewater.
COVID-19 and RSV levels in Wyandotte County wastewater are plateauing right now, according to WastewaterSCAN data.
Got more questions about staying healthy in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
