Record-breaking influenza season nears end
For the week ended March 17, influenza activity in the United States continued to decrease, though the season is still not over, according to the latest FluView report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ILI dropped from 3.2% reported last week to 2.7%. When that illness rate metric falls below the national baseline of 2.2%, that will indicate the end of the season.
So this week may be the last week of what has been a record-breaking flu season.
However, 17 states continue to report widespread flu activity, meaning ILI activity has been reported at centers across at least half of the state, and six states still are reporting high influenza-like illness levels. Those six states are located across the continent, including Arizona and Wyoming in the West, Nebraska and South Dakota in the Midwest and South Carolina and Virginia in the South.
Nine states are experiencing moderate ILI activity.
Hospitalization rates are higher than the end-of-season hospitalization rates for 2014-2015, a high severity, H3N2-predominant season. CDC also is reporting an additional five flu-related pediatric deaths during week 11, bringing the total number of flu-related pediatric deaths this season to 133.
So this week may be the last week of what has been a record-breaking flu season.
However, 17 states continue to report widespread flu activity, meaning ILI activity has been reported at centers across at least half of the state, and six states still are reporting high influenza-like illness levels. Those six states are located across the continent, including Arizona and Wyoming in the West, Nebraska and South Dakota in the Midwest and South Carolina and Virginia in the South.
Nine states are experiencing moderate ILI activity.
Hospitalization rates are higher than the end-of-season hospitalization rates for 2014-2015, a high severity, H3N2-predominant season. CDC also is reporting an additional five flu-related pediatric deaths during week 11, bringing the total number of flu-related pediatric deaths this season to 133.