If it seemed like a lot of folks were missing work because of the flu last month, it's because they were. More people reported having the flu during December 2014 than during any December since 2008.

A Gallup survey that's been tracking the flu since 2008 confirms that last month was a big one for the flu virus. On any given day, Gallup said, 4 percent of those in the monthly survey said they had the flu, up from 2.8 percent in December 2013.

And worse yet, Gallup reports, "given that reports of having the flu are typically highest in January or February, the 2013-2014 flu season could end up being the worst flu season in Gallup's records."

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Dan Cook

Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.