CDC: No widespread flu activity

ATLANTA, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- No states reported widespread influenza activity in the latest reporting period but nine states reported regional influenza activity, U.S. officials said.

The weekly flu surveillance report -- completed during flu season by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- says for the week ending Jan. 9 the proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness was 1.9 percent, which is below the national baseline of 2.3 percent. Only one of the 10 regions -- Region 9: Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada -- reported influenza-like illness above the region-specific baseline.

Regional influenza activity was reported by Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Virginia.

Local influenza activity was reported by the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.

Sporadic influenza activity was reported by Guam, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The U.S. Virgin Islands, Nebraska and Wyoming reported no influenza activity.

Influenza B viruses co-circulated at low levels with H1N1 viruses.