BATH

Hospitals and nursing homes are experiencing difficulty finding bed placement for influenza victims, the director of the Maine Center for Disease Control said Thursday.

Some nursing homes are not allowing visitors. The CDC reported 27 new outbreaks in Maine this week — 26 of those in long-term care facilities.

Flu season has struck early and, in many places, hard.

While flu normally doesn’t blanket the country until late January or February, it is already widespread in more than 40 states, with about 30 of them reporting some major hot spots. On Thursday, U.S. health officials blamed the flu for the deaths of 20 children so far, including one in Maine.

Dr. Sheila Pinette made Mid-coast’s misery official Thursday, saying of this season’s flu outbreak: “It’s an epidemic.”

“We’re being hard hit through the entire state,” the Maine Center for Disease Control director said. “We are quite concerned as to where people are going to get treated, especially in high-risk populations.”

As of Tuesday, the Maine CDC reported 65 flu outbreaks in the state, including 27 last week. A child in Benton died from the flu last month.

For those making a late attempt to prevent the flu, Parkview Adventist Medical Center and Mid Coast Hospital, both in Brunswick, are responding to the emergency.

Parkview is offering clinics in its board room from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday. Mid Coast has a walk-in seasonal flu clinic set for Jan. 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. at 58 Baribeau Drive.

Parkview spokeswoman Tory Ryden said Thursday the hospital will do its best to accommodate the public. People can call 373-2000 with questions, and register for the clinics quickly at the front desk, she said.

“With the deaths reported in Boston,” Ryden said, “people are looking and starting to panic a little bit.”

As flu cases besieged the city’s emergency rooms Wednesday, Boston’s mayor declared a public health emergency.

Ryden added that the flu vaccine for adults is readily available. The hospital suggests children with flu symptoms see their pediatricians, she said.

The new operating hours at the Mid Coast walk-in clinic for emergency care are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.

This year’s strains

The CDC reports three strains of influenza circulating, with A/H3 the predominant strain. The vaccine is widely available, and appears to be a good match to the circulating strains, the agency says.

Tamiflu and Relenza are both approved antivirals, the CDC says.

People who want to visit nursing homes or assisted-living facilities might not be surprised should they be turned away during this outbreak. If a resident has the flu, the CDC recommends a limit to visitation, at the discretion of the facility.

“It’s for protection,” said Holly Harmon, a registered nurse and director of qualify improvement and regulatory affairs with the Maine Health Care Association. “One confirmed case of the flu is considered an outbreak by the CDC. There’s a higher risk in any communal living setting.”

The Maine Health Care Association represents 250 such residences in the state.

Any restriction on visitation would have a dual purpose — both to reduce the introduction of any further contamination and to protect the public — Harmon said.

Nursing home and assistedliving personnel are wellexperienced in dealing with this health threat, and preventative measures are in place early, she said.

“Hygiene is always stressed,” said Harmon, who has worked in a variety of roles in nursing homes, including director of nursing.

lgrard@timesrecord.com