Young girl sick in bed with temperature drinks hot

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the 2017-2018 flu season has record-breaking hospitalization rates, according to a recent CDC FluView report.

A total of 30,429 laboratory-confirmed flu-associated hospitalizations were reported from Oct. 1, 2017, through April 30, 2018. The overall flu-associated hospitalization rate was 106.5 per 100,000 people.

However, the proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza was below the epidemic threshold in the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System.

"Hospitalization rates this season have been record-breaking, exceeding end-of-season hospitalization rates for 2014-2015, a high severity, H3N2-predominant season," according to the CDC.

Flu activity in the United States decreased for the fifth week in a row in mid-May, but the CDC report said the agency expected sporadic activity to continue for several more weeks.

Only 1 of 10 U.S. regions reported outpatient flu activity at or above baselines for the week ending May 5. The percentage of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness remained at 1.5 percent from the week prior, which falls below the 2.2 percent national baseline, the report said.

Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York still were reporting widespread flu activity for the week ending May 5. Guam, Puerto Rico and four states reported regional flu activity; 16 states reported local flu activity; Washington, D.C., and 25 states reported sporadic activity — up 11 states from a week prior — and the U.S. Virgin Islands and two states reported no flu activity.

Click here for the report.