The flu concern in the Southeast is the 2009 H1N1 pandemic strain; primarily it is causing serious illness in adults with underlying health conditions and in young children. Educating the public and emphasizing the need for repeated hand-sanitizer use and disinfectant spray helps control its spread, Kimberlin says.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta estimates that 60 million Americans have been infected by the virus, more than 265,000 have needed inpatient hospital care and nearly 12,000 have died.

The H1N1 fatality numbers are lower than the usual 30,000-plus U.S. deaths attributed to seasonal flu annually, which may reflect the success of the vaccination effort to date, Kimberlin says. The newest flu deaths primarily are occurring in people younger than age 65, where the H1N1 death rate is five times higher than the seasonal rate, he says.

SOURCE University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)