Flu, widespread in 30 states, blamed for nearly 2,000 deaths this season, CDC reports

Doug Stanglin | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption CDC: Nearly 2,000 dead from the flu, over 3 million infected The flu is widespread in 30 states and has claimed almost 2,000 deaths this season, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

The flu is widespread in 30 states and has caused almost 2,000 deaths this season, including 19 children, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

Nearly every state has reported elevated activity, the CDC said in its weekly update Friday.

The CDC estimated there have been at least 3.7 million flu cases this season, 32,000 requiring hospitalization. It reported 1,900 deaths.

Most patients are infected with a strain called B/Victoria that usually doesn't appear until the end of flu season. The virus tends to strike children and young adults more often, but anyone can be affected, according to the CDC.

The weekly report finds widespread flu in Puerto Rico and 30 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

Unusual flu strain: The flu season started early this year. Is it connected to a rise in influenza type B?

Super-vaccine: High-dose flu shots are being marketed to people 65 and older