Medical Xpress December 31, 2025
Flu is rising rapidly across the U.S., driven by a new variant of the virus—and cases are expected to keep growing with holiday travel.
That variant, known as “subclade K,” led to early outbreaks in the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada. In the U.S., flu typically begins its winter march in December. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported high or very high levels of illness in more than half the states.
The CDC estimated there have been at least 7.5 million illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations and 3,100 deaths from flu so far this season. That includes at least eight child deaths—and is based on data as of Dec. 20, before major holiday gatherings.
Some states are particularly...
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