Flu Season: Flu Widespread in 25 States, CDC Says

Flu Season: Widespread flu was reported in 25 states as deaths and hospital visits due to flu activity have increased.
Flu Season: Flu Widespread in 25 States, CDC Says
Updated:
[xtypo_dropcap]T[/xtypo_dropcap]wenty-five states are now reporting widespread flu activity as deaths and hospital visits due to flu activity have increased in mid-January, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported.

In its weekly flu surveillance report FluView for the week ending on Jan. 22, the CDC said that the number of states reporting high levels of flu activity rose from 17 states the week prior to 25 states.

Regional geographic flu activity was found in 16 more states.

Five states—Louisiana, Alabama, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Indiana—had the highest level of flu-like illnesses, the CDC said.

Nationwide, the proportion of deaths due to the flu and hospitalization rates due to flu-like illness both rose.

For the week of Jan. 16 to 22, three infants in the United States died due to influenza. Two of the pediatric deaths were linked to the influenza A (H3) virus, while the other death was linked to the influenza B virus.

Since the beginning of the flu season, which began in the fall around October, there have been 13 infant deaths due to the flu, according to CNN.