CDC: Five weeks into season, flu incidence back on the rise

ATLANTA  — After a one-week decline in incidence, influenza activity climbed back to 3.3%, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday, where 3.3% of patient visits reported through the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network were due to influenza-like illness. The increase in the percentage of patient visits for ILI may be influenced in part by a reduction in routine healthcare visits during the holidays, the CDC suggested, as has occurred in previous seasons.



This percentage is above the national baseline of 2.2%.



The proportion of people seeing their health care provider for influenza-like-illness has been at or above the national baseline for five consecutive weeks so far this season and the number of states reporting widespread flu activity increased from 21 states to 29 states.



For the week ended Jan. 14,  New York City and six states, including Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee, experienced high ILI activity. Puerto Rico and eight states (Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming) experienced moderate ILI activity.