CDC: 2,866 new cases of influenza confirmed during influenza season week 7

**CDC. FluView Report. Available at: www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/. Accessed Feb. 28, 2011.**

During the week of Feb. 13 to Feb. 19, 2,866 of 9,154 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 32,446 since Oct. 3, according to the CDC’s weekly FluView Report.

In week 7 of the 2011 influenza surveillance period, influenza A accounted for 77.6% of the influenza cases, and influenza B accounted for 22.4%. Among the influenza A cases, 33.9% of these were subtyped as influenza A (H3) and 26.3% were subtyped as influenza A (2009 H1N1). The remaining cases were not subtyped.

There were six influenza-associated pediatric deaths reported during week 6. Forty-one total pediatric deaths have been reported during the 2010-2011 season: eight deaths were associated with a non-subtyped influenza A virus, 10 deaths were associated with influenza A (H3), seven were associated with a 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus, and 16 deaths were associated with influenza B virus. The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza overall during week 7 was 8.3%, which is more than the epidemic threshold.

The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness during week 7 was 4.9%, which is more than the national baseline. All 10 regions reported influenza-like illnesses more than the region-specific baseline level. Twenty-one states reported high influenza-like illness activity. Sixteen states and New York City experienced low influenza-like illness activity. Seven states experienced minimal influenza-like illness activity. Six states experienced moderate influenza-like illness activity. The District of Columbia had insufficient data.

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