PITTSBURGH — The Allegheny County Health Department says flu cases have spiked in the past three weeks.

The department says lab cultures confirm a total of 69 new flu cases, bringing the total to 83 this season. It recorded 10 cases during the same period last year and 13 a year earlier.

Authorities say another 254 suspected cases have been identified through rapid tests. A total of 292 suspected cases have been identified so far this season, compared with 59 last year and 18 in 2006.

The department says many people who get sick do not seek treatment, so for every reported case there are likely hundreds that go unreported.

Health officials say it is still not too late to get flu shots.