Overall influenza activity increased during the week ending Nov. 25, according to the CDC's most recent update on flu activity for the 2017-18 flu season published Dec. 1.
Here are five things to know.
1. The percentage of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness was 2.3 percent for the week. This figure sits above the national baseline of 2.2 percent, marking a 0.3 percent uptick from the week prior and the fifth consecutive week of a reported increase.
2. The number of deaths related to pneumonia and influenza for the week was below epidemic thresholds.
3. The percentage of respiratory specimens that tested positive for influenza in clinical laboratories continued to rise the week ending Nov. 25. The most frequently identified virus type in positive specimens continued to be influenza A.
4. The CDC reported no additional pediatric flu deaths for the week. The total number of influenza-related pediatric deaths for the 2017-18 flu season remains at five.
5. Georgia, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Massachusetts reported widespread flu activity for the week. Guam and 10 states reported regional flu activity for the week; Puerto Rico and 24 states reported local flu activity; Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and 12 states reported sporadic flu activity.
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