Arkansas is currently experiencing a moderate level of influenza-like illness (ILI) activity, with a score of 6 out of 13, according to ILINet data for Week 10.
Hospital emergency departments have reported that 5.46% of visits are due to ILI, 1.89% to COVID-like illness (CLI), and 0.36% to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as indicated by Syndromic Surveillance data. Outpatient visits for ILI from Sentinel Providers are at 3.34%, showing a slight decline from the previous week.
At Arkansas Children’s Hospitals and associated clinics in central and northwest Arkansas, flu test positivity for influenza A, H3, and Flu A, H1 2009 is at 6%. RSV test positivity is below 6%, while COVID-19 test positivity is at 7%. The average school absenteeism rate was 7.12% last week among public schools, a slight increase from Week 9.
This flu season, Arkansas has recorded 126 influenza-related deaths, including three pediatric deaths, with 78.6% of those individuals unvaccinated.
Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates there have been at least 40 million flu illnesses, 520,000 hospitalizations, and 22,000 deaths from the flu so far this season in the United States.
In Arkansas, there were 11 COVID-19-related deaths reported this week, contributing to a total of 532 such deaths in 2024.
Since January 1, 2025, there have been 96 COVID-19-related deaths.
Additionally, 46 influenza outbreaks have been reported this flu season in nursing homes or other congregate settings.
