CDC: 3,306 new cases of influenza confirmed during influenza season week 6

CDC. FluView Report. Available at: www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/. Accessed Feb. 21, 2011.

During the week of Feb. 6 to Feb. 12, 3,306 of 9,448 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 27,832 since Oct. 3, according to the CDC’s weekly FluView Report.

In week 6, influenza A accounted for 78.6% of the influenza cases, and influenza B accounted for 21.4%. Among the influenza A cases, 39.3% of these were subtyped as influenza A (H3) and 28.5% were subtyped as influenza A (2009 H1N1). The remaining cases were not subtyped.

There were five influenza-associated pediatric deaths reported during week 6. Thirty-five total pediatric deaths have been reported during the 2010-2011 season: six deaths were associated with a non-subtyped influenza A virus, nine deaths were associated with influenza A (H3), seven were associated with a 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus, and 13 deaths were associated with influenza B virus. The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza overall during week 6 was 8%, which is more than the epidemic threshold.

The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness during week 6 was 4.5%, which is more than the national baseline. All 10 regions reported influenza-like illnesses at or above the region-specific baseline level. Twenty states reported high influenza-like illness activity. Five states and New York City experienced low influenza-like illness activity. Sixteen states and the District of Columbia experienced minimal influenza-like illness activity. Nine states experienced moderate influenza-like illness activity.

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