2003 - 2004 Texas Influenza Surveillance Information
The flu activity level for Texas, week 10, 3/7/04 to 3/13/04, is "no activity". No activity means that overall clinical activity remains low and there are no confirmed lab cases.
Of interest: DSHS Virology Lab isolated and identified its' first-of-the-season influenza B from a specimen submitted from Wichita Falls Health Department. It was identified as B/Sichuan/379/99-like, and has been sent to the CDC. The specimen was collected during the week 9 reporting week on 3/4/04.
In general, in Texas and the United States, culture-confirmed influenza B has not been seen in large numbers. Influenza A H3 was the dominant strain of the season.
Sporadic means there are isolated cases of lab confirmed influenza in the state; but overall influenza-like-illness (ILI) activity is not increased. During this reporting week, DSHS lab identified its first influenza B of the season from a specimen submitted by Wichita Falls Health Dpt.
Avian flu information:
The avian flu strain, H5N2, has been found in a a poultry flock in Gonzalez County, Texas. Even though this has been identified as a highly pathogenic avian flu strain (to birds), this is not the same strain causing avian flu outbreaks and human infections in Asia. That strain is H5N1. Additional information may be found at the web site for the Texas Animal Health Commission at http://www.tahc.state.tx.us/. Additional information regarding the H5N1 strain in Asia may be found at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/.
A map of Public Health Regions in Texas.
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