by Brianna Crandall — March 6, 2015—In welcome news for facilities and janitorial professionals who have been on high alert in recent months to help combat the spread of influenza germs in the workplace, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that flu activity in the United States, while still elevated, has begun to decrease.
The CDC reports that 12 states and Puerto Rico experienced high activity in flu-like illness for the week ending February 21, down from 15 states in the previous week. The rate of flu-related hospitalizations has decreased by 0.5 percent over the same time period, reports Infection Control Today.
While the H3N2 influenza virus remains the most common strain, the CDC says an increase in influenza B viruses has been detected in some parts of the United States.
At the time of the report, flu activity had been elevated for 13 consecutive weeks nationally. The average length of a flu season for the past 13 seasons has been 13 weeks. Because this hard-hitting season started relatively early, it is expected to last longer than average, concludes the CDC.
