2007 - 2008 Texas Influenza Surveillance Information

Influenza Surveillance Report for MMWR Week 48

The influenza (flu) activity level for Texas for the week ending December 1, 2007 is “local.” Local activity indicates that a single region of the state is experiencing an increase in ILI and has recent laboratory–confirmed influenza.

Reports were received from all 11 Health Service Regions (HSRs) for week 48. HSRs 7, 8, and 11 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

During week 48, four hospital laboratories and two public health laboratories throughout Texas reported conducting a total of 520 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). Sixteen antigen detection tests from Bell and Bexar counties were positive for influenza A (untyped), and two viral cultures were positive for influenza A (H1N1). In all, seven reports of culture-confirmed influenza were received from NREVSS and other sources: influenza A (H1N1) from Bell County, four influenza A (untyped) isolates from Harris County, influenza A (H1N1) from El Paso County, and influenza A (H3N2) from Nueces County. The Air Force Institute for Operational Health (AFIOH) did not report any positive cultures for influenza virus from Texas bases. Additional positive results from point–of–care rapid flu tests were reported by providers throughout the state.

The first influenza–associated pediatric death in Texas and in the United States for the 2007–2008 flu season was reported in week 48. The child was a 9–year–old resident of Bexar County with significant underlying medical conditions. The child had been vaccinated for the current flu season. The death occurred in MMWR week 45 (week ending November 10, 2007) after a brief illness.

No institutional outbreaks or school closures were reported for week 48.

Sixty–six 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 48. Sixty-five providers reported seeing patients during week 48; of those, 38 (58%) providers reported seeing at least one patient with ILI. Of all patient visits during this week, 4.99% 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.

The map showing influenza activity in the United States for MMWR week 48 is displayed below. The current U.S. flu weekly report may be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/fluactivity.htm

 

 

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

*Influenza activity level corresponds to current MMWR week only and does not reflect previous weeks' activity.

2007 - 2008 Texas Influenza Surveillance Information --- Flu Reports

For the week ending: 10/6/07; 10/13/07; 10/20/07; 10/27/07; 11/03/07; 11/10/07; 11/17/07; 11/24/07; 12/01/07; 12/08/07; 12/15/07; 12/22/07; 12/29/07; 01/05/08; 01/12/08; 01/19/08; 01/26/08; 02/02/08; 02/09/08; 02/16/08; 02/23/08; 03/01/08; 03/08/08; 03/15/08; 03/22/08; 03/29/08; 04/05/08; 04/12/08; 04/19/08; 04/26/08; 05/03/08; 05/10/08; 05/17/08; Annual Summary;

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