Flu death toll climbs to 44 in Oklahoma

11 more people have died from the influenza virus in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, increasing the death toll to 44, health officials said Thursday. Another 52 Oklahoma residents were confirmed hospitalized for the flu during the past week, bringing the total number of those hospitalized to 1,076 since September 2013, the State Health Department said. Among the 44 people who have died, 19 were residents between the ages of 50 and 64, and 13 were 65 or older. Additionally, two children and 10 adults aged from 18 to 49 have died. Flu, mostly the H1N1 virus, is widespread in Oklahoma and most of the U.S. states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High flu activity is likely to continue for several weeks. Earlier in January, Arkansas officials said at least 15 patients have died from flu-related illness in the state, while in Texas, the death toll is higher. Though there are no official statistics released by the state authorities, health officials at local levels continue to report a daily increase in flu deaths. Officials confirmed in late December that at least 13 patients have died from the H1N1 virus in Houston, Texas' largest city and the fourth largest U.S. city, while 20 died from flu in north Texas as of early January.