ATLANTA, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Federal health officials said Friday at least 42 children have died from complications related to the flu.
"This is very sobering and very worrisome to us," Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, told a news briefing.
Gerberding noted there may be more than 42 deaths in children and the CDC is requesting state health officials report any influenza-related deaths among children.
Flu cases are now widespread in 36 states, including California, Colorado, Nebraska, Texas and Virginia. Cases have been reported in all 50 states and it could get worse in some states, Gerberding said.
On the other hand, she noted, there are preliminary indications the outbreak is leveling off in some states that were hit hard early on but "it is too soon to predict how this (winter's flu season) will turn out."
The CDC estimates anywhere from 10 percent to 20 percent of the U.S. population suffers from the flu in a given year, resulting in an estimate of 36,000 deaths a year, on average.
