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    Infectious Disease Prevention Section
    Mail Code: 1927
    PO BOX 149347 - Austin, TX 78714-9347
    1100 West 49th Street, Suite G401
    Austin, TX 78714

    Phone: (512) 776-7676
    Fax: (512) 776-7616


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week 04

 

Surveillance

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Influenza Influenza
(Flu)
ICD-9 487; ICD-10 J10,11
Related Topics: Protecting Yourself During the Cold and Flu Season, Avian Flu, Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Asthma and SARS

2007 - 2008 Texas Influenza Surveillance Information

Influenza Surveillance Report for MMWR Week 4

The influenza (flu) activity level for Texas for the week ending January 26, 2008 is “widespread.” Widespread activity indicates that at least half of the regions in the state are experiencing an increase in influenza–like illness (ILI) and have recent culture–confirmed influenza.

 

Reports from Health Service Regions

Reports were received from all 11 Health Service Regions (HSRs) for week 4. All regions except HSRs 2/3 and 9/10 reported an increase in flu activity from the previous week. For a map of Health Service Regions, please visit the following website:

 

http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/regions/state.shtm

 

Laboratory Results

During week 4, two hospital laboratories in Texas reported conducting a total of 346 influenza tests (antigen, culture, and PCR) to the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSSnew window) sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Forty–eight antigen detection tests positive for influenza A/not subtyped and three antigen detection tests positive for influenza B were reported from Bell and Lubbock counties. Three PCR tests positive for influenza A/not subtyped were reported from patients residing in Bell, Milam, and Williamson counties. One PCR test positive for influenza B was reported from Bell County. Additional PCR tests positive for influenza A/not subtyped and influenza B were reported from Tarrant County. The Air Force Institute for Operational Health (AFIOH) reported 23 cultures positive for influenza A/not subtyped, 9 cultures positive for influenza A/H3, and 3 cultures positive for influenza B from Texas Air Force bases in week 4. A total of 170 reports of culture–confirmed influenza were received from NREVSS, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Laboratory, Scott and White Hospital Laboratory, Texas Children‘s Hospital Laboratory, AFIOH, and other sources for the following counties:

 

 

Influenza A/H1 Influenza A/H3 Influenza A/not subtyped Influenza B
Bexar County Bexar County (11) Bastrop County Bell County
Dallas County Collin County Bell County (13) Bexar County (4)
Moore County Hall County Bexar County (11) Dallas County
Swisher County Jefferson County Bosque County Harris County (2)
Travis County (4) Matagorda County (2) Brazos County (11) Jim Wells County
Webb County (3) Tarrant County Burleson County (3) McLennan County (2)
  Travis County (10) Coryell County (3) Travis County (2)
    Falls County Webb County (2)
    Harris County (38)  
    Kerr County (2)  
    Lampasas County (2)  
    Madison County  
    McLennan County (11)  
    Milam County  
    Waller County  
    Wichita County (13)  
    Williamson County (4)  

Additional positive results from point-of-care rapid flu tests were reported by providers throughout the state (see Texas map below).

 

Antigenic Characterization

CDC has reported antigenic characterization results from 33 influenza isolates [7 influenza A/H1, 23 influenza A/H3, and 3 influenza B viruses] received from the DSHS Laboratory since the beginning of the 2007–08 flu season.

 

Influenza A/H1 [7]

  • Seven (100%) of the seven viruses were characterized as A/Solomon Islands/3/2006, the influenza A/H1 component of the 2007–08 influenza vaccine for the Northern Hemisphere.
Influenza A/H3 [23]
  • Two (9%) of the 23 viruses were characterized as A/Wisconsin/67/2005–like, the influenza A/H3 component of the 2007–08 influenza vaccine for the Northern Hemisphere.
  • Twenty–one (91%) of the 23 viruses were characterized as A/Brisbane/10/2007–like. A/Brisbane/10/2007 is a recent antigenic variant which evolved from A/Wisconsin/67/2005–like.
Influenza B (B/Victoria/02/87 and B/Yamagata/16/88 lineages) [3]
    Victoria lineage [0]
  • The influenza B component for the 2007–08 influenza vaccine is a B/Malaysia/2506/2004–like virus, belonging to the B/Victoria lineage.
    Yamagata lineage [3]
  • Three (100%) of the three viruses were identified as belonging to the B/Yamagata lineage of viruses.

 

These results are very similar to national antigenic characterization results. The national results may be found in the CDC weekly flu report at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/. It is too early in the season to tell how well circulating strains will match the vaccine strains, or which influenza viruses will predominate this season. The DSHS Laboratory sends a representative sample of influenza viruses to the CDC throughout the flu season.

 

Influenza–Associated Pediatric Mortality

No new influenza–associated pediatric deaths were reported in week 4. To date, Texas has reported two influenza–associated pediatric deaths in the 2007–08 influenza season.

 

 

School Closures and Institutional Outbreaks

One school closure due to increased influenza–like illness was reported in Floyd County in week 4. No institutional outbreaks were reported.

 

 

Sentinel Provider Surveillance Network

Seventy–one sentinel providers reported data to the U.S. Influenza Sentinel Provider Surveillance System (SPSN) on patients with influenza–like illness (ILI) and total patients seen for any reason during week 4; of those, 60 (84.5%) providers reported seeing at least one patient with ILI. Of all patient visits during this week, 8.85% were due to ILI. The ILI baseline for the West South Central Region (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas) of the United States is 4.3% for the 2007–2008 season. The baseline is the mean percentage of patient visits for ILI during non-influenza weeks for the previous three seasons plus two standard deviations.

 


Percentage of Influenza–Like Illness (ILI) Reported by Sentinel Providers in Texas as of (2/3/2008 5:45:36 PM)
Week # Reporting Age 0-4 Age 5-24 Age 25-64 Age over 64 Total ILI Total Patients % ILI
2007-40 84 256 163 151 49 619 21410 2.89
2007-41 88 264 255 207 58 784 25255 3.10
2007-42 86 274 270 261 50 855 25776 3.32
2007-43 85 368 290 208 47 913 26428 3.45
2007-44 95 391 276 206 55 928 28213 3.29
2007-45 87 411 314 243 39 1007 25665 3.92
2007-46 79 420 299 215 65 999 24540 4.07
2007-47 91 470 308 272 73 1123 22659 4.96
2007-48 84 490 287 299 74 1150 25970 4.43
2007-49 84 221 282 162 16 681 20577 3.31
2007-50 80 241 253 128 16 638 18574 3.43
2007-51 68 158 191 186 26 561 15497 3.62
2007-52 77 169 198 191 22 580 12393 4.68
2008-01 89 212 297 332 25 866 16476 5.26
2008-02 94 364 468 621 117 1570 25438 6.17
2008-03 76 271 475 353 32 1130 21202 5.33
2008-04 71 310 760 634 52 1756 19853 8.85


The map showing influenza activity in the United States for MMWR week 4 is displayed below. The current U.S. flu weekly report may be found here.

 

 

Influenza in USA Map

 

For more information on flu surveillance activities in the State of Texas, please visit our main surveillance page.




Texas Department of State Health Services - Infectious Disease Control Unit
1100 West 49th Street, Suite T801, Mail Code: 1960 PO BOX 149347 - Austin, TX 78714-9347
(512) 458-7676 - Fax: (512) 458-7616 - E-Mail

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Last updated December 3, 2010