NATCHEZ &045; If you don’t have the flu yet, chances are you know someone in the Miss-Lou who does.

At least two area hospitals have seen quite an increase in the flu in recent weeks and expect cases to keep coming through the end of March.

&uot;It’s been a marked increase, and our family practice doctors are seeing it, too,&uot; said Jack Houghton, administrator of Natchez Regional Medical Center. &uot;It’s increased gradually over the last several weeks, Š but we’re seeing a lot of it now.&uot;

In fact, that hospital on Wednesday ran out of the kits it uses to confirm its flu cases, although it is expected to get a new supply of kits today.

&uot;Half the people we’re seeing with viral symptoms have the flu,&uot; said Dr. Michael Wheelis of Natchez Community Hospital’s emergency room.

Specific figures on this and last season’s flu cases were not available from either hospital as of Wednesday afternoon. But Wheelis said one thing’s for sure &045; &uot;It’s more than last year.&uot;

His theory is this: Due to a flu shot shortage early in the season, few outside the high-risk groups got the shots.

Then when shots were available, the public in general didn’t get them &uot;because they didn’t see it going around,&uot; Wheelis said. &uot;People let their guard down.&uot;

As a result, the flu season is peaking late, and Wheelis expects it not to be through until the end of March.

As of the week ending Feb. 5, the last week for which statistics were available from the Department of Health, the rate of influenza-like illness in Mississippi had risen to 12.6 percent of non-trauma patients. Compare that to 21.4 percent and 8.6 percent in 2003 and 2004, respectively.

In District 7, which includes Adams and surrounding counties, more than 70 flu-like cases were reported during that same time period.

Both Houghton and Wheelis said Tamiflu and related drugs are being prescribed for those who visit their hospitals with the flu.