SOUTHEAST Wis. (CBS 58) -- Flu season is underway here in southeast Wisconsin.

The CDC says it's a "very active" year for the virus across the country.

One local doctor's office says they've diagnosed 10 cases in the past few weeks. They say that's up from last year. The story is the same at offices all across the country. In the last week, there's been a rapid rise in the number of hospitalizations, especially among kids and the elderly.

"This week in the flu view, we will report there are 22.7 hospitalizations per 100,000 people in the United States. That's up from 13.7 last week so that's almost doubling in terms of numbers in just the last week."

Experts say you can reduce the risk of getting sick by washing your hands and covering your mouth when coughing.