New Influenza Strains Emerging as a Serious Health Threat
FOX News Senior Medical Analyst Dr. Mark Siegel joins America’s Newsroom to warn about new risks of the new strain of influenza, which is causing hospitalizations to skyrocket across the United States, and the link between medical marijuana and mental illness.
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new shape influenzaA highly contagious and aggressive virus has swept across the United States this season.
A variant strain of influenza A H3N2 called subclade K has been detected as the cause of an increase in the number of infected people worldwide, including in the United States.
The World Health Organization said on its website that the K variant represents a “significant evolution of influenza A (H3N2) viruses,” which some believe casts doubt on the virus’ effectiveness this season. influenza vaccine against tension.
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Experts say the K variant causes more severe flu symptoms, including fever, chills, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat and runny nose.
Several states in the Northeast are reporting high rates of respiratory illness this month. (St. Petersburg)
Of the 216 influenza A(H3N2) viruses collected since September 28, 89.8% belonged to subclade K, according to the CDC report.
The agency continues to release weekly influenza surveillance reports, tracking states with the most outpatient activity. respiratory disease.
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Below are the states and territories with the most reported health care visits, although not necessarily confirmed influenza cases, as of the week ending December 13th.
CDC’s Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report is an outpatient respiratory disease activity map based on data reported to ILINEt for the week ending December 13, 2025. (CDC FluView)
very high (level 1)
very high (level 2)
very high (level 3)
- new jersey
- rhode island
- louisiana
- colorado
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High (level 1)
- Massachusetts
- connecticut
- michigan
- idaho
- south carolina
High (level 2)
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High (Level 3)
- Washington DC
- maryland
- north carolina
- georgia
The CDC estimates that there have been at least 4.6 million illnesses, 49,000 hospitalizations and 1,900 deaths from influenza so far this season. of influenza vaccine Recommended as your best defense against viruses.
The influenza vaccine is recommended as the best defense against the virus. (St. Petersburg)
Dr. Neil Mania, a professor of public health at Northeastern University in Boston, detailed the initial severity of this emerging influenza strain in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“It’s becoming clear that this is a fairly severe variant of influenza,” he said. “Certainly in other parts of the world where this variant is widespread, it is causing severe disease. Full-fledged flu season already. “
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Mania suggested that subclade K is the “perfect storm” for a hot flu season, as vaccination rates are down overall and it is uncertain whether this year’s flu vaccines will directly address this particular variant.
“It’s very important to get the vaccine, but it’s not a perfect match for this variant, so I think that also contributes to some extent to the severity of the cases that we’re seeing,” he said. “We go in [to this flu season] It is a variant that has lower vaccination rates and which itself appears to be more aggressive. ”
Subclade K “causes some serious illnesses, and we’re already in the middle of a full-fledged flu season,” the doctor said. (St. Petersburg)
Mania stressed that it’s not too late to get the flu vaccine, as peak flu season has not yet arrived.
‘Vaccines still provide protection against infection serious illness “This is due to subclade K variants that appear to be prevalent. Protection is important because there may be a lot of indoor gatherings and other events that pose a risk of exposure,” he said.
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flat healthy person Mania said the flu can make people seriously ill, “so the vaccine is beneficial for almost everyone.”
“Typically, you start to see some protection within a few days, and maximum protection is achieved within about two weeks, so now is the time for those who have not yet been vaccinated.”
