WASHINGTON  (Metro)  -- Officials with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say they have not seen a flu season this bad, this early, in nearly a decade. 

CDC says the flu season is about five weeks ahead of schedule and predicts the worst is probably yet to come. 

The flu is widespread in 41 states. 

As of last Friday nearly 2,300 people were hospitalize from influenza and 18 children had died from complications. 

For information on preventing the flu and a weekly influenza report for Whatcom County click on the Bulletin Board tab at the top of the page and use the search term influenza.