Axios

The spread of flu is widespread in every state except Hawaii, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its first weekly update of 2018. Seven kids died from the flu in the first week of the year, and flu-related hospitalizations haven't been this high since the 2014-15 flu season.

The bottom line: Public health officials are urging people to get a flu shot, as many people often contract the disease in January and February.

The raw diet trend for cats and dogs is coming under fire from researchers, who say the "natural" diet — which purportedly helps pets avoid allergies and other risks from processed food — actually puts pets at risk of becoming sick via pathogens, per The Guardian. Scientists in The Netherlands examined commercially-available, frozen raw meat and found antibiotic-resistant E.coli in 80% of samples, listeria in more than half, and salmonella in 20%.

Why it matters: The study shows that commercially frozen raw meat, which might be seen as a safer alternative to home-prepared food, still carries a huge risk of disease for pets. That's in addition to prior research that shows a raw diet for animals can lead to gut and dental issues as well as developmental problems. An animal clinical nutritionist who spoke to The Guardian also drove home the key point: “We don’t have any scientific evidence to support those claims [that pets can avoid allergies via a raw diet].”

Braeburn Pharmaceuticals, a Princeton, N.J.-based developer of treatments for opioid addiction, has raised $110 million in new funding led by Wellington Management.

Why it matters: Because Braeburn recently received FDA priority review for its lead candidate, which would become the market's first long-acting implant drug to help combat what has become a national epidemic.

• Go deeper: The impact of opioids on U.S. life expectancy

A new class-action lawsuit, first reported by Bloomberg, alleges health insurance company Centene deceived customers about how many doctors accept its Affordable Care Act health plans. The lawsuit said Centene's provider network was largely "fictitious," resulting in many people having trouble finding in-network doctors.

The big picture: Centene is the largest ACA insurer, with about 1.4 million members, and the company said its networks are adequate. But the lawsuit epitomizes the struggle between insurers, who say narrow networks are needed to contain costs, and consumers, who say the plans restrict their ability to get care.