Flu epidemic strikes EVERY state expect Hawaii equally hard for the first time as officials warn of a bad season with two strains of the virus going around
Various influenza activity is now widespread in all US states except for Hawaii
It has already claimed more than 85 adult and 20 children’s lives this flu season
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported two strains of influenza viruses across the country, including H3N2 and H1N1
Officials say it is the first time the entire mainland has been struck at the same time with similar flu levels
By EMILY CRANE and MIA DE GRAAF
DAILYMAIL.COM
14 January 2018
The flu epidemic has struck the entire mainland US at the same time and in similar levels for the first time ever as health officials warn the season could get worse.
Influenza activity is now widespread in all states except Hawaii with the deadly virus already claiming the lives of more than 85 adults and 20 children this flu season.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that two strains of influenza viruses are being reported across the country, including H3N2 and H1N1.
‘This is a bad flu season,’ said Dr Dan Jernigan, the director of the CDC’s influenza branch.
Flu is everywhere in the US right now. There’s lots of flu in lots of places.
‘This is the first year we had the entire continental US be the same color on the graph meaning there’s widespread activity in all of the continental US at this point.’
While this year’s epidemic is still shy of the devastating death toll seen in 2014/2015, officials warn the rate of cases is severe, and this season looks set to be the second-worst on record.
The rate of cases for the deadly H3N2 virus is quadruple that of previous years, and hospitalizations have doubled in the last week as the outbreak reaches its ‘peak’.
‘What we’re seeing is the season has started early and that it’s probably peaking right about now,’ Dr Jernigan said.
He said the flu activity looked a lot like the flu epidemic of 2014-2015 where the H3N2 strain was predominant.
‘(It’s) a strain that’s, like was mentioned, is going to be associated with more cases and it’s going to be associated with more hospitalizations, and it is associated with more deaths,’ he said.
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