AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Cases of influenza have been found in all 16 Maine counties and the disease is now considered widespread, state health officials said Wednesday.
So far in the current season that began in the fall and will last into spring, 90 people in the state have been hospitalized with the flu and 1,287 people have tested positive, health officials said.
The number is likely an underrepresentation of the number of people who have been infected, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The best way to avoid the flu is to get vaccinated and take other precautions to stay healthy, officials said.
“Influenza is unpredictable and, in some cases, deadly,” said Maine CDC director Dr. Nirav D. Shah. “The most effective way to prevent the spread of influenza is to get vaccinated, and it’s not too late to get a flu shot.”
In addition to getting vaccinated, health officials suggest a number of other steps to avoid getting sick including washing your hands, covering a cough and staying home when sick.
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