The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting cases of influenza are on the rise in the United States, and doctors don't know when it will peak.
"We've had over 500 cases of flu that have tested positive in our emergency room since the beginning of the flu season. Last year at this time we were at 160," said Dr. Stephen J. Turkovich, the Chief Medical Officer at Oishei Children's Hospital.
The CDC reports 39 children have died from the flu this season. Of those, three of them were reported in New York and one in Western New York.
Of those 39 deaths, 28 were directly associated with influenza strain B.
The CDC says this particular strain showed up much earlier than usual this season and is one reason more kids are getting sick.
The number of kids who have died this season from influenza strain B is almost three times more than all of last flu season.
"In New York State, we've seen a significant number of flu related deaths in the pediatric population, and also the CDC reports across the United States we've seen pediatric related deaths," Erie County Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein said.
The CDC says influenza B is most commonly reported in children because the virus does not change much year to year.
"Hand washing is really, really important, all the time, frequently," Turkovich said.
Added Burstein: "It's really important for people who haven't already been immunized, especially parents who have children who haven't been immunized, (they) should get immunized as soon as possible."
For more information about the influenza virus visit the CDC's website.