CDC: Influenza widespread in the U.S.

ATLANTA, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- From October through early December, influenza activity was low in most regions in the United States, except the South, federal health officials say.

However, flu activity has picked up since mid-December and is currently present in all 50 states, and activity is widespread in approximately 75 percent of states, a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, released Thursday, says.

"The weekly number of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness rose steadily since the first week of January and the percentage of overall deaths attributed to pneumonia or influenza first exceeded the epidemic threshold in the last week of January," the report says.

"The number of pediatric influenza-associated deaths that have been reported tripled -- from 10 prior to January 16 to 30 since January 16 -- in the past month."

For the 2010-2011 influenza season, there has been a substantial number of outpatient visits, hospitalizations and deaths, particularly among high-risk persons such as the elderly, children and the chronically ill, the CDC says.

Influenza season lasts until the end of April, and it is not too late to be vaccinated, CDC officials say.

All people age 6 months and older should talk to their healthcare providers about getting vaccinated, health officials advise.