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Texas flu activity is high and rising. See the latest positivity trends, ER visit patterns, what’s driving spread, and how to protect your family this season.
Introduction
Flu season has a familiar rhythm in Texas: a slow build in the fall, a sharper climb around the holidays, and a peak that often lands after people return to work and school. But this winter, the uptick is arriving fast—and the latest numbers show why doctors and public health teams are paying close attention.
According to recent CDC updates, Texas is among the states reporting high to very high flu activity. (ABC13 Houston) That doesn’t mean every cough is influenza, but it does signal something important: more people are getting sick, more tests are coming back positive, and more patients are showing up in urgent care and emergency rooms with flu-like symptoms.
Texas is seeing higher flu positivity than the national trend
One of the clearest “right now” indicators is test positivity—the share of flu tests that come back positive. Nationally, CDC-reported positivity has climbed to more than a quarter of tested samples coming back positive, up from earlier December levels. (ABC13 Houston)
Texas appears to be running even hotter. Recent reporting cited Texas with about 32% of samples testing positive around late December—nearly double from the prior week and more than triple from two weeks earlier. (ABC13 Houston)
Those percentages matter because they’re a real-time sign of spread. When positivity climbs quickly, it often means influenza is circulating widely enough that even limited testing is catching a lot of true cases.
ER visits are rising—especially among school-age kids
Another trend worth watching is who is landing in the ER for respiratory illness. State-level reporting has shown that across age groups, more people are going to the ER for respiratory illnesses, with children ages 5 to 11 representing a particularly large slice. In late December reporting, that age group accounted for more than a quarter of ER respiratory illness visits, compared with about 15% at the same time last year. (ABC13 Houston)
That doesn’t prove influenza is the only driver—RSV, COVID-19, and other viruses circulate in winter too—but it aligns with what pediatric clinics often see when flu ramps up: school exposure increases, households share germs, and kids become the “engine” of transmission.
Houston wastewater and hospital snapshots suggest widespread circulation
In the Houston area, officials have also pointed to wastewater monitoring as an early signal, noting increases in influenza A. (ABC13 Houston) Wastewater doesn’t tell you exactly how many people are sick, but it does help confirm whether a virus is broadly circulating—even when not everyone is getting tested.
Hospitals are seeing it, too. One Houston system’s respiratory snapshot reported 1,051 positive Flu A tests during the week of December 19, followed by 756 during Christmas week—still elevated compared with earlier in the season. (ABC13 Houston) Week-to-week changes can swing because of holiday testing patterns, but the bigger picture points to sustained activity.
Why the surge may feel sharper this year
Flu seasons aren’t identical. Small shifts—weather, travel, school calendars, and community immunity—can change the curve. This winter’s fast rise has been linked in part to a dominant Influenza A (H3N2) pattern nationally and the spread of a variant sometimes described in news coverage as “subclade K.” (ABC13 Houston)
For regular people, the takeaway is simple: when a highly transmissible strain becomes common, the number of infections can climb quickly, and the post-holiday period can push it higher as students return to classrooms and families return from travel.
The “latest numbers” are useful—but they are not the full count
It’s tempting to treat flu dashboards like a live scoreboard, but public health agencies regularly remind Texans that influenza case counts are not a perfect census. Texas relies on a surveillance network and multiple indicators; providers are not universally required to report every flu case, so exact statewide totals aren’t fully known. (Texas Health Services)
That’s why the most reliable “latest numbers” tend to be trends:
- Positivity rate (Are more tests positive?)
- ER and outpatient visits (Are more people seeking care for flu-like illness?)
- Hospitalizations (Is severe disease increasing?)
- Geographic spread (Is activity high across multiple regions?)
When those indicators move in the same direction, the signal is strong—and in Texas right now, they largely are.
What symptoms to watch—and when to seek care
Influenza can hit hard and fast. Typical symptoms include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough and sore throat
- Body aches, headache, fatigue
- Runny or stuffy nose
Some people—especially children—can also have vomiting or diarrhea, though that’s less common in adults.
Most healthy people recover at home. But flu can be dangerous for infants, older adults, pregnant people, and anyone with chronic medical conditions. Consider urgent evaluation if you see:
- Trouble breathing or chest pain
- Dehydration (especially in children)
- Confusion, persistent dizziness, or severe weakness
- Symptoms that improve then suddenly worsen
If you’re in a high-risk group and develop symptoms, ask about antiviral medication early. Antivirals work best when started soon after symptom onset.
Practical steps Texans can take right now
Health guidance is rarely one-size-fits-all, but these moves are consistently recommended when influenza is spreading widely:
1) Get vaccinated—even now.
CDC guidance continues to recommend annual flu vaccination for people six months and older. (ABC13 Houston) It won’t prevent every infection, but it can reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and complications.
2) Don’t “power through” the contagious days.
The first days are often when people spread flu most easily. If you can, stay home, rest, and avoid close contact—especially with high-risk relatives.
3) Improve indoor air and reduce exposure.
Open windows when feasible, run HVAC fans, consider HEPA filtration, and avoid packed indoor spaces when you’re actively sick.
4) Use smart hygiene, not panic hygiene.
Handwashing, covering coughs, and wiping high-touch surfaces help—especially in households with kids.
5) Consider testing when it changes decisions.
Testing is most useful when it helps you decide: Do I need antivirals? Should I keep my child home? Is it flu vs. something else?
What to expect next: January and February can still climb
Many seasons continue to intensify after the holidays. In recent Texas reporting, health officials have cautioned that the state may not be “out of the woods” and that activity can remain elevated into January and February—and occasionally spike later. (ABC13 Houston)
That means the “latest numbers” you see today are best treated as a snapshot of a moving target. If positivity and ER visits keep rising over the next couple of weekly updates, Texas could see more school outbreaks, more workplace absences, and heavier strain on clinics.
The good news: small choices—vaccination, staying home when ill, and protecting high-risk family members—can reduce spread and keep more infections from turning severe.
5 FAQs (with answers)
1) Is Texas officially in “very high” flu activity right now?
Texas has recently been listed among states reporting high to very high flu activity in CDC mapping and reporting referenced by Texas news coverage. (ABC13 Houston)
2) What’s the most important “number” to watch each week?
For everyday readers, test positivity and ER/outpatient visits for flu-like illness are the most telling, because they show both spread and health system impact. (ABC13 Houston)
3) Are kids getting hit harder this season?
School-age children often see spikes first. Recent Texas reporting highlighted ages 5–11 as a major share of ER respiratory illness visits, higher than last year at the same time. (ABC13 Houston)
4) If I already got the flu shot, can I still catch flu?
Yes. The vaccine doesn’t block every case, but it can lower your odds of severe disease and complications, and it still offers meaningful protection at a population level. (People.com)
5) When should someone ask about antivirals like Tamiflu?
If you’re in a higher-risk group—or symptoms are severe—contact a healthcare provider as early as possible, ideally within the first 1–2 days of symptoms, when antivirals tend to work best.
Conclusion
The latest numbers show flu is climbing across Texas, with high activity levels, rising positivity, and more respiratory illness visits—especially among children. (ABC13 Houston) While exact statewide case totals aren’t perfectly measurable, the trend lines are clear. The next few weeks—when schools and routines fully restart—are likely to be a major test. Vaccination, staying home when sick, and protecting high-risk loved ones can make the biggest difference as Texas heads deeper into peak season. (Texas Health Services)
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