Flu season less harsh than last year, but bacterial infections
still pose threatAlthough this flu season is shaping up to be
milder than last season, health officials are still worried
about the rate of potentially fatal influenza-related bacterial
infections. Each year, between 5% and 20% of the U.S. population
come down with the flu, according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. So far this season, roughly 2.4% of the
population has sought treatment for influenza. The most common
strain of the flu making the rounds this year is influenza A, or
the H1 strain, which health officials included in this year's
batch of vaccines, CDC officials reported. But flu-related
bacterial infections, such as methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and bacterial pneumonia, are still
prevalent this season, giving health officials some cause for
concern. Many of the flu-related deaths every year stem from
these types of bacterial infections. Each year, 36,000 people
die from complications due to the f