BATON ROUGE — Louisiana has the highest rate of flu or flu-like illnesses in the country, according to a report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Louisiana and Colorado were the first two states this flu season to break into the "high" category of flu activity, CDC data shows. Most other states were in the "low" or "minimal" category as of Nov. 22. Louisiana was in the "moderate" category the week prior, but has led the country since Nov. 1. 

The CDC's data includes respiratory illnesses with symptoms including a fever, cough or sore throat, not exclusively laboratory-confirmed influenza.