US flu season is off to a very early start. It's targeting the South and West now

NEW YORK — The U.S. flu season is off to a very early start, and it’s quickly intensifying. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday posted its latest update, reporting that seven states were reporting high flu activity last week, up from two states the week before. kAm%96 rsr 2=D@ D2:5 E92E >@C6 E92? bT @7 5@4E@CD’ @77:46 G:D:ED =2DE H66< H6C6 7@C 7=F\=:<6 :==?6DD[ D:8?2=:?8 E92E 7=F D62D@? :D C62==J F?56CH2J]k^Am kAm{@F:D:2?2 :D D66:?8 E96 H@CDE @7 :E D@ 72C]k^Am kAmu=F D62D@? “:D E2<:?8 @77 2?5 :E’D E2<:?8 @77 :? 2 5:C64E:@? E92E’D @?=J =:<6=J E@ :?4C62D6 :? E96 ?6IE >@?E9 @C EH@[” D2:5 sC] uC65 {@A6K[ 2? :?764E:@FD 5:D62D6D DA64:2=:DE 2E E96 {$& w62=E9 $4:6?46D r6?E6C :? }6H ~C=62?D]k^Am kAm“x7 J@F 92G6?’E 366? G244:?2E65[ J@F D9@F=5 86E G244:?2E65 ?@H[” 96 25565]k^Am kAm%96 62C=J\D62D@? 7=F 24E:G:EJ :D 9:896C E92? H92E’D FDF2==J D66? 2E E9:D A@:?E @7 E96 J62C[ E9@F89 :E’D ?@E 4=62C E92E H:== >62? E9:D D62D@? H:== 36 H@CD6 E92? @E96CD[ 244@C5:?8 E@ rsr’D FA52E6]k^Am kAmqFE ?@E 2 8@@5 D:8?i %96 7=F 9@DA:E2=:K2E:@? C2E6 :? >:5\~4E@36C H2D E96 9:896DE D66? E92E 62C=J :? 2? 2FEF>? :? >@C6 E92? `d J62CD[ ?@E65 sC] p??2 sFC3:? @7 y@9?D w@A<:?D &?:G6CD:EJ[ 5FC:?8 2 C646?E >65:2 3C:67:?8]k^Am kAm%96 rsr 6DE:>2E6D E92E 2E =62DE a]e >:==:@? :==?6DD6D[ be[___ 9@DA:E2=:K2E:@?D[ 2?5 a[`__ 562E9D D@ 72C E9:D D62D@? 2C6 E:65 E@ 7=F :?764E:@?D]k^Am kAm%96 DFC86 3682? :? E96 ?2E:@?’D $@FE9 2?5 (6DE[ 2?5 E96 DE2E6D D66:?8 9:89 7=F 24E:G:EJ D@ 72C :?4=F56 r2=:7@C?:2[ {@F:D:2?2[ ~C68@?[ $@FE9 r2C@=:?2[ %6??6DD66[ %6I2D 2?5 (2D9:?8E@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 rsr]k^Am kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>QmxE’D ?@E F?FDF2= 7@C {@F:D:2?2 E@ 36 2>@?8 E96 7:CDE E@ D66 7=F D62D@? DFC86D 6249 J62C] %92E :D 2E =62DE A2CE=J 5F6 E@ =@H G244:?2E:@? C2E6D[ 9:89 A@G6CEJ C2E6D 2?5 492==6?86D A6@A=6 7246 :? 2446DD:?8 962=E942C6[ {@A6K D2:5]k^DA2?mk^Am kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qms@4E@CD 6IA64E 2446=6C2E65 DAC625 @7 7=F 2?5 @E96C C6DA:C2E@CJ G:CFD6D 2D A6@A=6 EC2G6= 2?5 82E96C =2E6C E9:D >@?E9 7@C %92?Qm“pD H6 AC6A2C6 E@ 82E96C H:E9 72>:=J 2?5 7C:6?5D @G6C E96 FA4@>:?8 9@=:52JD[ 86EE:?8 G244:?2E65 :D 6DA64:2==J :>A@CE2?E[” D2:5 sC] }:4@=6 x@G:?6[ 2 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 u=@C:52\277:=:2E65 :?764E:@FD 5:D62D6 DA64:2=:DE[ :? 2? 6>2:=65 DE2E6>6?E E9:D H66<]k^DA2?mk^Am kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm!6@A=6 D9@F=5 ?@E 86E G244:?2E65 :7 E96J 2C6 4FCC6?E=J DF776C:?8 D:8?:7:42?E DJ>AE@>D[ 3642FD6 E96 3@5J’D :>>F?6 DJDE6> :D @E96CH:D6 @44FA:65] qFE A6@A=6 D9@F=5 86E 2 7=F D9@E 6G6? :7 E96J 2=C625J 925 2? :?764E:@? E9:D 72==[ 3642FD6 E96 G244:?6 AC@E64ED 282:?DE E9C66 <:?5D @7 7=F G:CFD[ 2?5 :E’D ?@E F?FDF2= 7@C >@C6 E92? @?6 DEC2:? E@ 4:C4F=2E6 6249 D62D@?[ {@A6K D2:5]k^DA2?mk^Am kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm{2DE H:?E6C’D 7=F D62D@? DFC865 :? =2E6 s646>36C 2?5 :?764E:@?D H6C6 6DA64:2==J :?E6?D6 :? D@>6 A2CED @7 E96 4@F?ECJ] pE E96 E:>6[ }6H *@C< r:EJ 962=E9 @77:4:2=D 42==65 :E E96 >@DE :?E6?D6 D62D@? :? a_ J62CD]k^DA2?mk^Am kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm%96 D62D@? 72565 :? E96 7@==@H:?8 >@?E9D[ 2?5 H2D 32D:42==J @G6C 3J =2E6 |2C49] qFE E92E DAC:?8 E96 rsr 6DE:>2E65 E96C6 925 366? 2E =62DE ba >:==:@? :==?6DD6D[ bg_[___ 9@DA:E2=:K2E:@?D 2?5 ac[___ 562E9D E92E D62D@?]k^DA2?mk^Am kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm%9:D 72==[ >@DE @7 E96 :==?6DD6D D@ 72C 2C6 42FD65 3J 2 G6CD:@? @7 2? p w`}` 7=F 3F8 H:E9 >FE2E:@?D E92E 92G6 E96 A@E6?E:2= E@ >@C6 62D:=J D=:A E9C@F89 E96 :>>F?6 DJDE6>’D 5676?D6D] w@H6G6C[ 52E2 D@ 72C DF886DED E96 4FCC6?E G244:?6 “42? C64@8?:K6” E96 4:C4F=2E:?8 G:CFD 2?5 H@C< 282:?DE :E[ D2:5 p?5C6H !6<@DK[ 2 y@9?D w@A<:?D &?:G6CD:EJ :>>F?@=@8J 6IA6CE[ 5FC:?8 2 C646?E >65:2 3C:67:?8]k^DA2?mk^Am kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmw62=E9 @77:4:2=D H@?’E @?E9D 6I24E=J 9@H 67764E:G6 E9:D J62C’D G244:?6 :D] qFE “C:89E ?@H E96C6 :D ?@ 42FD6 7@C 4@?46C?[” 96 D2:5]k^DA2?mk^Am