Hamilton County health commissioner warns influenza remains unpredictable; wastewater monitoring shows promise
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Summary
Hamilton County Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman told commissioners that Southwest Ohio has seen an unusually high flu hospitalization season—about 931 hospitalizations, 302 in December—and that wastewater monitoring at Little Miami and Mill Creek correlated with hospitalization peaks and can serve as an early warning.
Greg Kesterman, Hamilton County’s health commissioner, told commissioners on Jan. 27 that influenza remains a distinct risk this season despite a recent downward trend. “If you’ve seen one flu season, you’ve seen one flu season,” Kesterman said, adding that each season is unique and that a later peak is still possible.
Kesterman presented surveillance data for the Southwest Ohio region, reporting more than 931 hospitalizations this season and 302 in December. He said that hospitalization counts are one of the most reliable indicators of community circulation because hospitals routinely test admitted patients. “This year’s hospitalization numbers are two and a half times greater than the five-year average,” he said.
On mortality, Kesterman said state-level tracking shows flu-related deaths this season are about 30% lower than the five-year average. Emergency-department visits for influenza-like illness in Southwest Ohio totaled about 3,900 this season, with a December peak of 537 visits (roughly 3% of ED admissions), he said.
Kesterman described a local wastewater-monitoring effort with two Hamilton County sampling sites—Little Miami and Mill Creek—that tracked closely with hospitalization peaks. He called wastewater sampling “an early sentinel for us” and said the tool helped identify community trends when many people recover at home and do not seek testing. He also noted that other counties are investigating wastewater for signals of illicit drugs and industrial pollutants.
During a question-and-answer period, commissioners asked how vaccination levels affected the season. Kesterman urged continued flu and childhood vaccinations and said many vaccines remain covered by insurance. On COVID-19, he said monitoring has decreased compared with earlier in the pandemic but that hospital testing identifies COVID among admissions; he did not report significant current COVID circulation but noted past patterns of summer and January spikes.
Kesterman closed with prevention guidance, recommending traditional handwashing with soap and paper towels for about 20 seconds as the most effective routine measure, with hand sanitizer as a secondary option when soap and water are unavailable.
The health briefing concluded with commissioners thanking the health department; no board action was taken during the presentation.