The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now reports flu activity in the United States is ahead of where it was at this time last year.
In the CDC’s latest report, doctor visits for flu-like illness nationwide rose slightly above last year’s pace for the first time this season, though it still ranks behind the 2012-2013 numbers.
Texas continues to sit in the "regional" flu activity category and shows more activity than much of the U.S. on that latest report.
Google Trends, which maps flu search activity, shows Texas is ahead in flu activity from last year and is among the top in the nation as well. In the past that trend has been fairly in line with the actual illness.
Locally it’s clear the flu season is starting to heat up.
Dallas County reported its first death from flu this week, while Denton County has now seen two people hospitalized and confirmed cases jumped from seven to 28 in the past week.
Denton County Chief Epidemiologist Juan Rodriguez said the area is on pace for another early flu season like it saw in past years, and he expects numbers to hit their peak sometime in the next two months.
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Health leaders continue to advise folks to seek out the flu shot and to get it now before the next round of family holidays late this month.
