Seasonal influenza activity remains elevated across the U.S., though there was no big spike in cases as we move away from the holidays.

Patient visits for respiratory illnesses decreased to 5.4%, above the national baseline of 3%. To date, 27 children have died of the flu this season, including 11 this week. Of all clinical lab tests, about 18.8% were positive for influenza.

Our flu surveillance product will continue to focus on the severity of the flu rather than the geographic spread. This information is reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by each state’s health department ranging on a scale from “minimal” to “very high” levels of activity.

States and territories reporting flu include the following activity and trends:

Very High (9 states and New York City): Alabama, California, Georgia, Louisiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, South Carolina and Tennessee

All of these locations had been Very High last week as well.

High (24 states and Washington, D.C.): Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.

Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Texas and Washington had a 1-step down from Very High to High.
The rest of the states had all been High last week.

Moderate (10 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands): Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Oklahoma and Utah.

Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine and Utah saw a 1-step down, moving from High to Moderate.
The Virgin Islands observed a 1-step increase from Low to Moderate.

Low (6 states): Delaware, Hawaii, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Missouri dropped two levels from High to Low.

Delaware, Hawaii and South Dakota saw a 1-step decrease from last week, going from Moderate to Low.

Minimal (2 states and the Northern Marianas Islands): Montana and West Virginia.

Both states and the Northern Marianas saw minimal activity last week.

Vermont had insufficient data this week.
Here are a few flu facts:

The CDC recommends all people older than six months of age get the seasonal flu vaccine, either via an injection or nasal spray. Consult with your doctor or pharmacist to find out about flu vaccine side-effects, precautions and vaccine options – there are several multi-strain variations available this year.

Due to certain health restrictions, not everyone is eligible to receive the flu shot. For those of you who are not able to get a flu shot, there are other things you can do to minimize your risk for contracting the flu, as well as giving it to others:

Avoid close contact with those who are sick.
Avoid exposing others when you are sick. Stay home from work or school if you are exhibiting symptoms.
Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing.Wash your hands frequently.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

Lastly, getting a flu shot is not a guarantee that you won`t end up getting the flu, but it can help you from catching it as easily and can even help keep symptoms from being as bad. The CDC has urged doctors to prescribe one or a combination of the three-available prescription antiviral drugs to patients with flu-like symptoms. If given early enough, there is evidence that antivirals can lessen the intensity and duration of influenza symptoms.
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Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Weekly Flu Update: Some Improvement Seen in Flu Activity