Several US states are battling record flu cases and hospitalizations due to a new 'super flu' strain, prompting UK health officials to monitor the situation closely. The mutated virus, identified as H3N2 subclade K, has driven hospitalizations to unprecedented levels in states like Colorado and California.
During the week of December 27, Colorado recorded 831 flu hospitalizations, the highest since tracking began 20 years ago. While rates declined 12 percent the following week, doctors describe this season as the 'worst' they have seen. About one in four flu tests in the state were positive in early January.
California reported a hospitalization rate of four per 100,000 people, up from three the previous week, and a second pediatric flu death in an unvaccinated adolescent. Nationwide, weekly hospitalizations jumped 53 percent to 54.1 per 100,000, though test positivity is beginning to decline.
The new strain is unfamiliar to immune systems, leading to more severe illness, particularly in children. Symptoms include prolonged fevers and coughing that causes breathing difficulties. In one case, a two-year-old in Georgia developed transverse myelitis after flu infection.
UK health authorities are on alert as the virus could spread internationally. While no cases have been reported in Britain, experts advise vaccination and hygiene measures to mitigate potential impact.
