As we end the year – what is happening with the seasonal flu? It is out there and is trending up, especially in the south.

The map above shows that during week 50, the following ILI activity levels were experienced:
- Three states (Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi) experienced high ILI activity.
- New York City and two states (Arizona and Nevada) experienced moderate ILI activity.
- Two states (Louisiana and Oklahoma) experienced low ILI activity

The map below shows that during week 50, the following influenza activity was reported in the United States:
- Widespread influenza activity was reported by one state (Mississippi).
- Regional influenza activity was reported by Puerto Rico and 13 states (Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia).
- Local influenza activity was reported by seven states (Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee).
It is a good time to brush off and recommit to your hand washing skills, cough hygiene techniques and have hand sanitizer nearby for those times that you can’t wash your hands. Flu shots are still available in most areas in the U.S. although they generally take several weeks to confer immunity.