Map reveals where flu cases are rising… as seven states hit ‘high’ or ‘very high’ levels amid early winter sickness wave

Flu activity is surging across many parts of the US, health officials have warned, as seven states have ‘high’ or ‘very high’ cases. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned Friday that flu levels were ‘higher than typically observed at this time of year’ and ‘continue to increase in many parts of the country.’

In its latest update, the agency estimated more than 2.6 million people have been sickened by the flu up to the week ending November 7, up 53 percent from the week prior. 

Thirty-eight states, mostly in the South, West, Midwest and Northeast, recorded an uptick in flu levels over the latest week. 

One state, Louisiana, had ‘very high’ flu levels, while six others, Washington, Oregon, California, Texas, Tennessee and South Carolina, had ‘high’ levels.

Eight other states, Idaho, New Mexico, Colorado, Hawaii, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, reported ‘moderate’ levels. 

For comparison, in the previous week, only seven states recorded moderate or high levels of flu. Two states reported high levels, Louisiana and South Carolina, while five reported moderate levels, Washington, California, Texas, Florida and Oregon.

More than 36,000 people were also estimated to have been hospitalized after catching the virus, up 44 percent on the previous week, while 2,100 were estimated to have died with a flu infection, up 50 percent in a week. 

For comparison, this time last year flu levels were so low that health officials had not yet published an estimate for the number of cases, hospitalizations or deaths. They did not publish an estimate until the week ending November 15, when there were thought to have been more than 650,000 illnesses. Cases did not reach the level recorded this week until the end of the month. 

Positive flu tests increased to 11 percent from 9.1 percent. Outpatient respiratory illness rates also increased to 3.2 percent compared to 2.8 percent in the previous week.

In its latest update, published today, the CDC warned that the weekly flu hospitalization rate, or number of people per 100,000 individuals who were hospitalized with the virus every week, had increased to 2.9 per 100,000 from 2.5. 

Adults 65 and older had the highest rates of flu-related hospitalization this season, the data showed.

Typically, flu starts to circulate in October, peaks between December and February and then declines up to May.

But this year, CDC data showed that flu levels had already begun to rise in the week ending August 8 and have continued to increase since.

Flu levels also normally rise in the South first before spreading across the rest of the nation.

Yet official data showed that cases started to rise first on the West coast this year, which doctors said was unusual.

The early rise in cases nationwide has been linked to the H1N1 strain of the virus, which was behind the 2009 flu pandemic that sickened 60 million and hospitalized more than 240,000.

Experts say that this strain is behind the majority of cases nationwide and has acquired a new mutation, G155E, which may make it better able to evade previous immunity and cause an infection. There is no evidence that it may cause a more severe infection.

Health officials at the CDC have said that an earlier start to the flu season does not necessarily mean that it will be more severe compared to previous years.

The states recording a rise in flu cases were: Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Wisconsin, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Oregon, Nevada, Wyoming, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, California, Colorado, Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Hawaii, Texas, Florida.

Experts have urged Americans to get their flu shot as soon as possible.

Estimates suggest that the flu shot slashes the risk of infection by 34 percent and hospitalization by 30 percent, although the numbers vary by year. Doctors say it takes at least two weeks for the shot to work.

The shot is recommended for everyone aged six months and over and is usually covered by health insurance. Adults over 65 years old, young children, and those with underlying conditions are at higher risk of a severe infection with the virus.

Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is one of the most common and highly contagious respiratory infections, impacting around eight percent of the US population each year.

The infection can cause symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, headaches and fatigue, and can lead to more serious complications including pneumonia and influenza-associated encephalopathy, a severe brain dysfunction condition.

There are three different flu virus strains that cause illness: influenza types A, B and C.

Influenza type A can infect people and animals, while type B is usually found only in humans and is generally associated with less severe infections.

Type C occurs much less frequently than A and B and causes minor illness in humans.

While most people recover within a week, some may develop complications such as pneumonia, which can be life-threatening and require medical treatment.

Last year saw a particularly severe flu season as a ‘super flu’ surge was driven by subclade K, a highly mutated variant of the Influenza A (H3N2) virus that caused a rapid and severe spike in cases nationwide.

The strain was brand new to people’s immune systems, making them highly vulnerable and at an increased risk of severe, hospitalizing illness.

While symptoms were the same as other flu strains, experts warned the ‘super flu’ variant was causing more severe illness, especially in children, with signs including week-long fevers and a cough that led to trouble breathing.

The 2025-2026 respiratory season saw at least 32 million flu cases, according to the CDC. There were about 390,000 hospitalizations and 24,000 deaths.

H1N1, the main strain this year, was last dominant over the 2023 to 2024 flu season.

To avoid the flu, health officials recommend regular handwashing and avoiding contact with people who have flu-like symptoms.

Treatment includes rest, staying hydrated, taking over-the-counter medication or in severe cases, prescription antivirals such as Tamiflu.