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Iowa Flu Update

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Four more Iowans died of the flu this week. Iowa Department of Public Health medical director Patricia Quinlisk says this is a particularly bad strain of influenza, especially for the elderly.

"The particular strain we’re seeing right now can hit anybody of any age, but it hits older people particularly hard. We also know that older people are just more at risk of getting the flu and getting serious illness of the flu because their immune systems just don’t work as well.”

Quinlisk says the flu vaccine is still one of the best ways to prevent getting seriously ill. She says the more people who get vaccinated, the more that will help protect everyone. Proper hand washing with soap and water and staying well-hydrated also help stave off the virus. 

Other conversations included this hour: Des Moines Register health reporter Tony Leys talks about his reporting on the legality of selling cannabis oil in Iowa, as well as the state of the industry as we head into another legislative session; Amy Mayer of Iowa Public Radio details her reporting this week on soybean exports; Dr. Wei Bao of the University of Iowa shares his latest research on autism diagnoses; and University of Iowa physiologist Kevin Kregel talks about how the human body reacts to extreme cold. 

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Ben Kieffer is the host of IPR's River to River