U.S. flu activity heavy in the south, low in New England

ATLANTA, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- U.S. flu activity increased in the last week of 2013 with high flu activity in the South and minimal flu activity in New England, officials say.

Nationwide in the week ending Dec. 28, the CDC said of 6,419 specimens tested 1,711, or 27 percent, were positive for influenza.

Two influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported to CDC. One death was associated with a 2009 H1N1 virus and occurred the week ending Dec. 21 and one was associated with an influenza A virus for which no subtyping was performed and occurred during the week ending Dec. 14. A total of six influenza-associated pediatric deaths for the 2013-2014 season were reported to the CDC.

Twenty states experienced high influenza-like illness activity: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia.

New York City, Alaska, Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, Pennsylvania, North Dakota and Oregon reported moderate influenza-like illness activity; Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin reported low influenza-like illness.

Sixteen states experienced minimal influenza-like illness: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Widespread influenza activity -- flu reported in more than 50 percent of a state's counties -- was reported in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

Regional influenza activity was reported by 20 states: California, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Local influenza activity was reported by Puerto Rico, Arizona, Delaware and Vermont. Sporadic influenza activity was reported by the District of Columbia, Hawaii and Rhode Island.