How Fast Is Flu Spreading in Georgia?

By Justin Ove

Image Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced its latest findings on the spread of the flu in the United States, and the states in which the spread of the disease is the widest.

According to the latest report, Georgia’s rate of new flu infections has slackened recently, after being among the nation’s leading states for flu infections for several weeks running. Georgia’s Influenza-Like Illness Level is in the high end of the “low” spectrum, following five straight weeks at the top of the “high” spectrum, WSB-TV says.

This flu season, 13 Georgians have died of the disease and 450 others have been hospitalized due to their symptoms. This year’s strain of the flu is especially serious for the elderly and the very young, the CDC says.

Learn more about flu symptoms and what you can do to prevent getting the flu.

According to the CDC’s latest figures, the flu is considered geographically “widespread” in every state of the union except for Alaska, Hawai’i, California, and Arizona. 25.3 percent of all respiratory specimens sent to the CDC from the region including Georgia have tested positive for the influenza virus, the latest report states.

CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said that the country is about half way through a typical flu season of 13 weeks, though other health officials have commented that it’s not clear whether or not we’ve reached the apex of flu activity for the 2014-15 season.