US flu activity ebbed a bit but remained high and above the baseline for the 12th straight week last week, with more than 43,000 hospitalizations and 18 deaths, all of them children, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its weekly surveillance report.
The CDC also noted 18 new pediatric flu deaths and said it “does not anticipate” posting any more updates on respiratory disease activity this season.
COVID-19 levels are at low but elevated levels in many parts of the country, while respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases are at moderate levels and declining, the CDC reported. The peak for COVID-related hospital demand was lower this season than all previous seasons and nearly 50% lower than last season’s peak.
High flu severity for all age-groups
Flu test positivity was 26.9%, down from 31.6% the previous week, while outpatient visits dropped from 7.8% to 6.8%. Flu is high or very high in 44 jurisdictions in a season classified as high severity for all age-groups.
Of the 2,486 flu viruses public health laboratories reported, 96% were influenza A and 4% were influenza B. Among the 1,788 influenza A viruses subtyped, 62% were the 2009 H1N1 strain, 38% were H3N2, and none were H5, which would indicate avian flu.
The CDC said it doesn’t anticipate producing additional respiratory disease outlook updates for the rest of the season, but it’s unclear if it will still post updates solely on flu activity.
The CDC estimates that, so far this season, 19,000 people have died from flu and 430,000 people have been admitted to hospitals.
The agency also confirmed 18 new flu-related deaths in children, bringing the total for the 2024-25 flu season to 86. Seventeen of those deaths were attributed to influenza A, and the other to influenza B. Of 12 fatal influenza A viruses subtyped, 9 were H1N1 and 3 were H3N2.
Last respiratory disease update of the season
The number of people seeking care for an acute respiratory illness was high last week, with very high activity in Delaware, Kansas, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. the CDC said. Test positivity for COVID-19 (4.5%) and RSV (6.6%) was comparable to last week’s proportions.
Wastewater viral activity is high for influenza A, while it is moderate for COVID-19 and low for RSV. Other respiratory illness at high levels include pertussis (whooping cough), Mycoplasma pneumonia, and group A Streptococcus infections.
The CDC said it doesn’t anticipate producing additional respiratory disease outlook updates for the rest of the season, but it’s unclear if it will still post updates solely on flu activity.
