NATION : Flu Outbreak an Epidemic, U.S. Disease Control Agency Declares

ATLANTA — The nation’s winter flu outbreak has reached epidemic proportions, with deaths last week from flu or pneumonia at their highest level in at least eight years, the Centers for Disease Control said today.

Last week, 1,143, or 7.6%, of the 15,090 deaths reported to the CDC from 121 major cities were blamed on flu or pneumonia. That percentage “significantly exceeds the expected” for the second straight week, said Dr. Walter Gunn, a CDC viral disease specialist.

Once that percentage rises above 6.7 for two consecutive weeks, the CDC considers the outbreak at epidemic levels, Gunn said. He said the percentage of deaths attributable to flu or pneumonia is at its highest level since at least the winter of 1981-82.