Cough-Cold and Flu

ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracked a significant increase in the proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness for the week ended Feb. 4.

ILI nationwide reached 4.8%, well above the national baseline of 2.2% and a sharp uptick in the 3.9% in ILI reported the week prior. All 10 regions reported ILI at or above their region-specific baseline levels, with New York City and 23 states experiencing high ILI activity and 10 states experiencing moderate ILI activity.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Judging from the heat map released Thursday as part of the Walgreens Flu Index, flu incidence is in full swing across much of America.

For the week of Feb. 5, the top 10 markets currently experiencing flu activity are:

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. — Immunization is a key preventive cornerstone of pediatric care but efforts often fall short with adolescents, according to two new clinical reports released by the American Academy of Pediatrics earlier this week.

CHAPEL HILL — Researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health are suggesting a vaccine for the "stomach flu" may be possible, upon discovering that the norovirus that causes stomach flu mutates genetically, similar to the virus that causes influenza.

HOBOKEN, N.J. — A new study released Wednesday indicates that Genentech's antiviral drug Tamiflu (oseltamivir) can reduce influenza infections and prevent deaths in a cost-saving manner under most pandemic scenarios.

ATLANTA  — Influenza activity is picking up across the East Coast even as it remains at high levels in central U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday.

Nationwide during the week ended Jan. 28, 3.9% of patient visits reported through the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet) were due to influenza-like illness. This percentage is above the national baseline of 2.2%.

ILI is defined as fever (temperature of 100°F [37.8°C] or greater) and cough and/or sore throat.