CDC: 2,106 new cases of influenza confirmed during influenza season week 8

CDC. FluView Report. Available at: www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/. Accessed March 7, 2011.

During the week of Feb. 20 to Feb. 26, 2,106 of 7,543 specimens tested by WHO and the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System were positive for influenza, bringing the total number of influenza cases to 36,824 since Oct. 3, according to the CDC’s weekly report.

In week 8 of the 2011 influenza surveillance period, influenza A accounted for 74% of the influenza cases, and influenza B accounted for 26%. Among the influenza A cases, 32.4% of these were subtyped as influenza A (H3) and 23.1% were subtyped as influenza A (2009 H1N1). The remaining cases were not subtyped.

There were 14 influenza-associated pediatric deaths reported during week 8: four deaths were associated with a non-subtyped influenza A virus, two deaths were associated with influenza A (H3), four were associated with a 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus, and four deaths were associated with influenza B virus. Fifty-five total pediatric deaths have been reported during the 2010-2011 season. The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza overall during week 8 was 8%, and this is the fifth consecutive week that pneumonia and influenza mortality has been at or more than epidemic threshold.

The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness during week 8 was 4%, which is more than the national baseline of 2.5%. All 10 regions reported influenza-like illnesses (ILI) at or more than the region-specific baseline level. Eighteen states reported high ILI activity; 16 states and New York City experienced low ILI activity; 10 states experienced minimal ILI activity; six states experienced moderate ILI activity. The District of Columbia had insufficient data.

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