Flu-Related Deaths in Connecticut Reach 23

There have been 23 flu-related deaths in Connecticut so far this season — mostly of people age 65 and older — and the number of people with flu symptoms seeking emergency room care has hit a seasonal high of 12.4 percent in the state.

Those are the latest flu statistics released this week by the Connecticut Department of Health. You can view your town’s flu statistics in the PDF attached to the article.

So far, the state has positively identified 3,758 cases of the flu in all eight of the state’s counties:

• Fairfield (1,035)
• New Haven (828)
• Hartford (761)
• Middlesex (304)
• New London (266)
• Windham (284)
• Litchfield (149)
• Tolland (131)

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Of those, 1,522 people have been hospitalized with the flu, health officials said Thursday in their latest update on the flu season.

The 3,758 confirmed cases of flu statewide represent only those people who tested positively for the disease and the statistics don’t take into account the additional thousands of flu cases not confirmed through testing.

The types of flu among the 3,758 confirmed cases included:

• 993 Type A (H3N2)
• 18 Type A (2009 H1N1)
• 2,155 Type A (subtype unspecified)
• 274 influenza B viruses, and
• 318 of unknown type

“Influenza activity remains very high in Connecticut and is classified geographically as “widespread,” the state report says. “This season is also characterized with an earlier onset of flu activity than most recent influenza seasons, which normally peak in February or March.”