Over 50 people have died from the flu and 476 people have been admitted to intensive care in the US state of Illinois, according to the latest statistics released by the Illinois Department of Public Health last Friday.

In Chicago, the largest city in Illinois, 121 people have been hospitalized, compared to only one case reported in the same period last year.

The government and local hospitals took several measures to stop the widespread flu epidemic including allocating more vaccines to injection points, setting up flu shots in schools and supermarkets, and suspending patient visiting time to prevent cross-infection.

Over 350 patients were admitted in the first two weeks of January and more cases are expected.

The Illinois Department of Public Health said the whole state was experiencing the rarest flu season in 10 years.

The flu has spread to 48 states, 30 of which lead to deaths, but Illinois is proving to be a more serious situation.