U.S. influenza activity has dropped for the fourth week in a row, with 48 states reporting minimal flu-like illness activity for the week ending April 28, according to the CDC's most recent FluView report.
Here are five things to know.
1. Only 1 of 10 U.S. regions reported outpatient flu activity at or above region-specific baselines for the week ending April 28. The percentage of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness for the week was 1.5 percent. This figure marks a 0.2 percent decrease from the previous week and falls below the 2.2 percent national baseline.
2. The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for flu dropped in the week ending April 28. The agency confirmed 319 positive specimens for influenza A and 629 positive specimens for influenza B, compared to 429 positive A specimens and 974 positive B specimens confirmed the week prior.
3. The overall flu-associated hospitalization rate was 106 per 100,000 population for the week ending April 28, marking a 0.7 percent increase from the previous week. The CDC reported 30,286 laboratory-confirmed flu-associated hospitalizations from Oct. 1, 2017, through April 28, 2018.
4. The agency also confirmed three pediatric flu deaths for the week, which brings the total count of flu-associated pediatric deaths to 163 for the 2017-18 flu season.
5. Three states reported widespread flu activity for the week ending April 28 — one less than a week prior. Guam, Puerto Rico and seven states reported regional flu activity; 24 states reported local flu activity; Washington, D.C., and 14 states reported sporadic activity; and the U.S. Virgin Islands and two states reported no flu activity.