Flu Has ‘ Definitely Peaked ’ Nationally; Remains High In Mass.

By Susan Scutti, CNN (CNN) — Flu has been shown the door in the United States. Illness activity peaked and began to decline during the eighth week of the year, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly surveillance report indicated Friday. Just 5% of people who visited their doctors did so while complaining of flu-like illness, down from 6.4% the previous week. Caused by viruses, flu is a contagious respiratory illness with mild to severe symptoms that can sometimes lead to death. “We have definitely peaked,” CDC spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund said, quickly adding, “that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to see more flu activity.” And as long as flu continues to circulate in your community, the CDC recommends that you get a flu shot, she said. Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, North Dakota, Tennessee and Washington experienced low activity of flu-like illness, while Florida, Maine and Montana saw minimal activity for the week ending February 24. Puerto Rico, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin all experienced moderate activity. “You really see the West Coast and the border with Canada and a couple of places in the East are starting to see a drop in activity,” Nordlund said. Despite the positives, the flu season is not nearly finished. But it’s not over yet “Where we are at now is still the peak we saw last season,” Nordlund said. Last year was a re...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health News Flu Source Type: news