Flu Frenzy in Washington State

SEATTLE (AP) – More cases of the flu have been reported by this point in the year than is usual in Washington state and around the country.

The Seattle Times reports that in the first week of December, 3.2% of doctor visits nationwide were from people with an influenza-like illness, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The national baseline – which uses date from the previous three seasons – is 2.4%. Washington is one of the places with particularly high flu activity, along with Nebraska, Puerto Rico and a swath of Southern states