Flu reaches highest levels in the US in 25 years | Flu activity in US could continue to rise for …

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Flu reaches highest levels in the US in 25 years

Flu continues to bring misery across the US, with all but four states showing high or very high levels of activity as a new virus strain called subclade K continues to spread.

By another measure – visits to the doctor for fever plus a cough or sore throat, which are common flu symptoms – the US is at its highest level of respiratory illness since at least the 1997-98 flu season, according to data published Monday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“This is definitely a banner year,” said Dr. Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist and senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “It’s the worst we’ve had in at least 20 years. We’re seeing a majority of the country is experiencing very high levels of activity, and we’re still in the thick of it.”

Flu activity in US could continue to rise for weeks, top CDC epidemiologist says

The CDC estimates there have been at least 11 million illnesses so far.

Flu activity could continue to increase in the U.S. over the next few weeks, according to a top flu epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"There's a lot of influenza out there right now," Dr. Carrie Reed, chief of the epidemiology and prevention branch of the CDC's influenza division, told ABC News.

"We often see activity continue into the spring … I think the reality is that it's going to continue to be elevated for a little bit longer," she continued.

The CDC's latest estimates indicate that there have been at least 11 million illnesses, 120,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths from flu so far this season.

Flu surges across U.S. as doctor visits reach highest level since 1997

Flu cases are continuing to spike in the United States. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that at least 5,000 people have died of the illness this year and that doctor's visits for flu have reached their highest level in decades. 

The CDC estimated there have been at least 11 million flu cases as of December 27, as well as at least 120,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. There have been nine flu-related pediatric deaths, the CDC said. 

At the same time, 8.2% of outpatient doctor's visits nationwide were for flu-like illnesses, the CDC said. That's the highest level recorded since 1997, according to CDC data. 

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