Flu is reported ‘widespread’ in 70 percent of US states: CDC
The 2013-2014 influenza season had a slow start this year; however, we are getting to where we are typically found this time of year pretty quickly now.
Image/CDC
In their epidemiologic report from week one of 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 35 states are now reporting “widespread” geographic spread, this is up from 25 states reported just one week ago.
These states include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Regional influenza activity was reported by Guam and 12 states (Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia), while local influenza activity was reported by the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and two states (Delaware and Vermont).
The federal health agency also reports four pediatric deaths from the flu during the first week of 2014, three were attributable to H1N1, the predominant circulating strain so far this season.
The CDC says flu seasons are unpredictable and can be severe. Over a period of 30 years, between 1976 and 2006, estimates of flu-associated deaths in the United States range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people.
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