Flu cases reported at increasing rate; 6 deaths in Ky. this season

Kentuckians are getting the flu at an increasing rate, and more are dying from it.

In the week ended Dec. 14, there were two deaths, bringing the statewide total for the current flu season to six, according to the state Department for Public Health.

During that week, 814 new cases of the flu were reported. Five of the deaths were people 18 or older and one was under 18. Twelve of the state's 17 health regions reported increased flu activity during the week.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the flu has killed between 12,000 and 61,000 people annually in the U.S. since 2010.