For the week ending March 22, overall U.S. flu activity was down, but in some states such as New York, flu was up from last week and California reported 342 flu-related deaths in those age 65 and younger.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's weekly flu report said of the 4,977 specimens tested nationally, 11.5 percent were positive for influenza, up from last week -- many for influenza B. In New York, there were 1,527 laboratory confirmed influenza reports -- a 20 percent increase over the previous week.