So far this year, roughly 11,500 people statewide needed to be hospitalized because of the illness. Sadly, the state has also confirmed two pediatric deaths.
Central New Yorkers already have a lot on their plate to avoiding getting sick. Now the USDA is alerting everyone of something else to be worried about.
New numbers from the New York State Department of Health show a 60% increase in laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza last week over the previous week.