Pennsylvania reporting early rise in flu cases

Across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting at least 1 million cases of the flu so far this season.Cases are rising early this year, and that includes in the commonwealth, where the Pennsylvania Department of Health has already reported two flu-related deaths.The season just started, but the flu is already here. It's what Dr. Graham Snyder, UPMC's medical director of infection prevention and hospital epidemiology, said he's seeing in southwestern Pennsylvania, which aligns with what's happening nationally and statewide."In the regions that UPMC serves, we're starting to see cases pick up," Snyder said. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, flu activity remains low, but cases are increasing rapidly, with more than 2,600 so far this season as of the end of October. It's much higher than the same time the past few years, though Snyder said it's not unusual."When they start, when they peak, and when they wrap up, can be variable, but late f