The Arizona health department says the flu is now widespread in Arizona.
That status given by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is invoked when there is an increase in illness and labs confirm flu cases in at least half of the state’s regions. According to ADHS, influenza in Arizona has been classified as widespread every winter since 2012.
CDC data show as of the end of January, California, Iowa and Massachusetts also had widespread influenza activity.
More than 3,700 cases have been reported in Arizona and 51 percent of those are in Maricopa County. The Arizona Department Of Health Services cautions those numbers are likely a fraction of the actual cases.