This week – week 43 – shows no slow down in cases as the US enters deeper into the fall and the weather that promotes the flu. Here is the net-net of the flu action in the US.
- Over 99% of all subtyped influenza A viruses being reported to CDC were 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses.
- The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) was above the epidemic threshold.
- 18 influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported.
- 15 of these deaths were associated with 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus infection
- 3 were associated with an influenza A virus for which the subtype was undetermined (but remember that 99% of the virus in the US is H1N1)
- The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) was above the national baseline. All 10 regions reported ILI above region-specific baseline levels.
- Forty-eight states reported geographically widespread influenza activity,
- Two states reported regional influenza activity (Hawaii and Mississippi)
- District of Columbia reported local influenza activity
- Puerto Rico and Guam reported sporadic influenza activity, and the U.S. Virgin Islands did not report.
Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality
- Eighteen influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported to CDC during week 43 (California [8] , Indiana, Louisiana [2], Mississippi, New York, Oklahoma, Texas [2], Virginia, and West Virginia).”
Outpatient Illness Surveillance:
Geographic Spread of Influenza as Assessed by State and Territorial Epidemiologists:
