2008 - 2009 Texas Influenza Surveillance Information
Influenza Surveillance Report for MMWR Week 45
The influenza (flu) activity level for Texas for the week ending November 8, 2008 was “sporadic.” Sporadic activity indicates that isolated reports of lab-confirmed influenza along with influenza-like illness have been reported. During week 45, fourteen (1.8%) specimens tested by NREVSS laboratories in Texas were positive for influenza. Flu is occurring in the state at a very low level.
Reports from Health Service Regions
Reports were received from all Health Service Regions (HSRs) for week 45. HSRs 1 and 11 reported an increase in flu activity compared to week 44; all other HSRs reported the same level of flu activity compared to week 44. 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 45, fourteen hospital laboratories and public health agencies across Texas reported conducting a total of 796 influenza tests (antigen, culture, and PCR) to the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS )sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of the 693 antigen detection tests that were performed, four were positive for influenza A/not subtyped and seven were positive for influenza B. The positive results were reported by hospitals in Bexar, Harris, Lubbock, and Nueces counties. No positive PCR results were reported. A total of four reports of culture-confirmed influenza were received from the Texas Department of State Health Services Laboratory and ARUP Laboratories for the following counties:
| Influenza A/H1 |
Influenza A/H3 |
Influenza A/not subtyped |
Influenza B |
| Cameron County |
(None) |
(None) |
Comal County |
| Kleberg County |
|
|
|
| Starr County |
|
|
|
Additional positive results from point-of-care rapid flu tests were reported by providers throughout the state (see Texas map below).
Influenza–Associated Pediatric Mortality
No influenza–associated pediatric fatalities were reported during week 45.
School Closures and Institutional Outbreaks
No school closures or institutional outbreaks were reported during week 45.
U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network
Fifty–six sentinel providers in Texas reported data to the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet) (formerly known as the U.S. Influenza Sentinel Provider Surveillance System) on patients with influenza–like illness (ILI) and total patients seen for any reason during week 45. Twenty-four (43%) of these providers saw at least one patient with ILI. Of all patient visits during this week, 1.77% were due to ILI. The ILI baseline for the West South Central Region (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas) of the United States is 4.8% for the 2008-2009 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 11/18/2008 2:44:51 PM |
| Week |
# Reporting |
Age 0-4 |
Age 5-24 |
Age 25-64 |
Age over 64 |
Total ILI |
Total Patients |
% ILI |
| 2008-40 |
76 |
84 |
133 |
127 |
22 |
366 |
20050 |
1.83 |
| 2008-41 |
77 |
114 |
163 |
124 |
19 |
420 |
20000 |
2.10 |
| 2008-42 |
78 |
105 |
156 |
90 |
7 |
358 |
19658 |
1.82 |
| 2008-43 |
78 |
120 |
152 |
106 |
20 |
398 |
19654 |
2.03 |
| 2008-44 |
77 |
119 |
186 |
103 |
26 |
434 |
20430 |
2.12 |
| 2008-45 |
56 |
67 |
87 |
109 |
18 |
281 |
15897 |
1.77 |
The map showing influenza activity in the United States for MMWR week 45 is displayed below. The current U.S. flu weekly report may be found at: here.
 *This map indicates geographic spread and does not measure the severity of influenza activity.
For more information on flu surveillance activities in the State of Texas, please visit our main surveillance page.
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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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