LUMBERTON — There have been 179 flu-related deaths in North Carolina since the flu season started in October, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.

There were 5 deaths in the state this past week. It’s the fewest deaths in a week since eight deaths were reported during the week ending March 25.

The state agency also revised its death toll from the previous week, raising the number of flu related deaths for the week ending April 8 from 13 to 16.

The state does not break down the deaths by county. But, the Southeastern Regional Medical Center emergency department treated 31 cases of flu between April 1 and April 18, according to Infection Control Nurse Sherry Edwards.

“We have seen a significant decrease in flu case from March,” Edwards said. “We seemed to be slow at the beginning of flu season then we peaked in February and March and our cases are coming back down now.”

The month-to-month number of flu cases treated by the SRMC emergency department are October 2016 — 15, November 2016 — 17, December 2016 — 36, January — 73, February — 215, March — 179, and April 1-20 — 31.

The 2014-15 Flu season had 218 deaths in NC, the current one had 179 with one month to go, said Bill Smith, county Health Department director. The overall numbers are down for April when compared with March and February.

“What makes this season different is that the peak season was December through February in the three previous years whereas it was later this year — February through April,” he said.

As it takes two weeks for a flu shot to be effective, there would be very little protection for this season and the person would not be protected for the 2018-18 season without another vaccination, he said. People properly vaccinated against the flu have half of the fatality rate of those not vaccinated.

The typical flu season starts in October and can last into May, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The peak months are December, January, February and March.

The state DHHS warns that flu symptoms include: fever or feeling feverish, a cough and/or sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, headaches and/or body aches, chills, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea, which is most common in children.

Vaccination is the best protection available, according to DHHS. Other preventative measures are washing your hands, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and if you are sick, stay home from work and keep your kids home from school if they are sick so it does not spread.

Prescription medications called antiviral drugs can be used to treat the flu, but a vaccination is the best way to prevent the flu, according to the state DHHS.