Influenza is one of the deadliest of all airborne and upper-respiratory infections. On average, 22,000 deaths and over 3 million hospitalizations in USA are attributed to influenza each year. In the United States, influenza activity has been increasing since the beginning of November of 2017, with Influenza A being the most commonly identified virus. Consequently, the 2017-2018 flu season has seen an increase in hospitalizations due to influenza-like illness. In 2018 alone, there have been 68 child deaths resulting from influenza, compared to the 110 total child deaths from last year’s flu season. Despite a lot of studies, the role of weather on influenza spread is not yet fully understood. In the present study, we investigate the association between flu activity and three climate factors: humidity, temperature and precipitation for the state of Georgia. In addition to this, we also explore the relationship between El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the seasonality, timing of peak, and severity of influenza for the study region. Preliminary results show an unusual increase in the widespread influenza activities across the state post 2011.
