2004 - 2005 Texas Influenza Surveillance Information
The weekly flu activity level for CDC week 11 ending 3/19/05 remains regional.
Reports were received for all eleven regions.
Flu activity has continued to decline again this week.
The region representing South Central Texas (HSR 8) reported increased activity over last week, although this may be due to the return of students from Spring Break and a lull in reporting last week. The two regions representing East Texas (HSRs 4, 5N) reported about the same (high) level of flu activity as last week. The regions representing the panhandle (HSR 1) and the Houston/Galveston area (HSR 5S/6) reported about the same (decreased) level of flu activity as last week. The six regions representing Northeast Texas (HSRs 2/3), Central Texas (HSR 7), West Texas (HSRs 9/10), and South Texas (HSR 11) reported decreasing flu activity.
(A map of Health Service Regions)
Data from the Sentinel Provider Surveillance Network (SPSN) indicates yet another week of declining ILI activity, although levels are still somewhat high at more than twice the baseline level. This is the fourth week of ILI decreases.
School absentee levels due to ILI are down markedly, with another week of no reports of school closures.
Culture confirmed flu has been identified in all regions of the state, with declining specimen levels at the DSHS lab this week.
Counties with culture confirmed flu include Dallas, Tarrant, Harris, Bexar, Bell, Travis, Webb, Kerr, Potter, Wichita, and Williamson.
The majority of culture confirmed flu remains A.
For more information on this new strain of flu, please see the following link: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/.
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