CHEYENNE -- Although influenza activity remains higher in Wyoming than it has been in the past decade, the state Department of Health offered a sliver of encouraging news Monday.

The growth in activity appears to have begun to slow down.

But don't put away your hand sanitizer just yet.

"It's gone down somewhat the last two weeks," said Kim Deti, public information officer for the department. "We are not ready to say the peak is done, but we did want to note it's not growing any more.

"We're still getting a lot of reports and it's still widespread," she added.

The department also announced that influenza was associated with the recent deaths of two Laramie County residents.

Both men were elderly and had underlying health conditions. One died last week and the other about three weeks ago.

There's been a total of eight flu-related deaths in the state since swine flu emerged in the state last spring.

The two men were not confirmed as having the H1N1 strain, but their deaths were flu-related, Deti said.

Not all patients receive the special testing for H1N1, Deti said.

Unlike other states, Wyoming has not experienced a rash of school closings because of flu cases.

Four of the eight reported deaths have been among people between the ages of 19 and 64, and four were among people older than 65.

Since late May, 663 swine flu cases have been confirmed by the department. Of those:

* 56 were among people younger than 5.

* 349 were among people between the ages of 5 and 18.

* 253 were among people between the ages of 19 and 64.

* Five were among people older than 65.

During the same period, 3,672 cases of flu have been reported to the department overall, as well as 102 flu-related hospitalizations. The department expects the number of actual flu infections around the state to be much higher, because most ill people do not seek medical care or are not tested specifically for the H1N1 strain.

Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches and fatigue. Some patients also report diarrhea and vomiting.

Actions recommended to slow the spread of illness include:

* When available, get immunized with both an H1N1 flu and a seasonal flu vaccine.

* In general, people who develop flu-like illness should stay home from work, school or travel until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever. Those who are severely ill (such as having trouble breathing) should seek medical care.

* Avoid contact with sick people.

* Cover noses and mouths with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing, and throw used tissues in a trash can.

* Frequent hand washing with soap and water or the use of an alcohol-based hand gel.

Contact capital bureau reporter Joan Barron at 307-632-1244 or joan.barron@trib.com

On the Web

For more information about flu in Wyoming, log on to www.health.wyo.gov