The flu in the U.S. has been widespread during the cold, winter months. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 29 states have reported high flu activity, up from 16 states a week earlier. In total 41 states reported cases of the flu.
'It's about five weeks ahead of the average flu season,' said Lyn Finelli from the CDC to The Daily Mail. 'We haven't seen such an early season since 2003 to 2004.'
Flu Near You has been tracking areas affected by the flu by users registered on the site.The Daily Mail reports that 4 percent of users on the site say they have flu symptoms.
"That's huge," John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital Boston as well as one of the founders of Flu Near You, said to NBC News. 'Last year, we never got near this."
Flu Near You has been a great tool for seeing immediate results and information about the flu season.
'It's what we call 'nowcasting,'' Brownstein said according to The Daily Mail. 'It's a more up-to-date view."
From the data on Flu Near You it shows that this year's biggest symptom is a cough at 19 percent with other symptoms including sore throat, fatigue, body ache, and fever.
Dr. Thomas Frieden said to ABC News that the flu season started earlier this year than in nearly a decade. His best advice is to get a flu shot.
The Daily Mail reported that during the 2010-2011 flu season, the CDC reported that vaccines were effective for 60 percent of people of all age groups who got them.
The H3N3 strain is a dominant on this year and can cause a more serious sickness.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
