CDC: 2,044 new cases of influenza confirmed during influenza season week 4

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

During the week of Jan. 23 to Jan. 29, 2,044 of 6,209 specimens tested by WHO and the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System were positive for influenza. This brings the total number of influenza cases to 18,454 since Oct. 3, according to the CDC’s weekly FluView report.

In week 4, influenza A accounted for 81.8% of the influenza cases, and influenza B accounted for 18.2%. Among the influenza A cases, 43% of these were subtyped as influenza A (H3) and 25.3% were subtyped as influenza A (2009 H1N1). The remaining cases were not subtyped. One human infection with a novel influenza A virus was reported.

There were six influenza-associated pediatric deaths reported during week 4. Nineteen total pediatric deaths have been reported during the 2010-2011 season: Two deaths were associated with a non-subtyped influenza A virus, eight deaths were associated with influenza A (H3), one was associated with a 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus and eight deaths were associated with influenza B virus. The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza overall during week 4 was 8.5%, which is above epidemic threshold.

The proportion of visits for influenza-like illness during week 4 was 4%, which is above the national baseline. Seven regions reported influenza-like illnesses above the region-specific baseline level. Seventeen states reported high influenza-like illness activity. Ten states and New York City experienced low influenza-like illness activity. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia experienced minimal influenza-like illness activity. Three states experienced moderate influenza-like illness activity. One state had insufficient data.

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