[MASSLIVE] Two more influenza-associated pediatric deaths have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bringing to 13 the number of such deaths for the current flu season.New York City and 19 states, including Massachusetts, are experiencing high influenza-like illness activity in terms of visits to outpatient providers for symptoms such as a fever of 100 degrees, cough and sore throat, and the flu is considered widespread geographically in the commonwealth as well as in 23 other states.
Some 3.4 percent of visits to reporting outpatient providers in Massachusetts were for influenza-like illnesses for the week ending Dec. 29, according to the state's most recent flu activity report.
All the state's regions were reporting the proportion of these visits above baseline with the highest rates in the Northeast and Southeast regions at 5.15 and 4.61 percent, respectively, and the lowest in the West at 1.57 percent.
The Northeast also had the highest number of laboratory-confirmed cases for the week at 275 as well as the highest number to date this season at 718.
The number of laboratory-confirmed cases to date in the state is 2,194. Last year at this time, there were 1,298 laboratory-confirmed cases of flu.