Flu Surveillance — February 7, 2012
DSHS’s
latest flu report, for the week ending Feb. 4, classifies flu activity in Texas as “regional.”
CDC’s flu-activity classifications are no activity, sporadic, local, regional and widespread. The “regional” classification indicates increased influenza-like illness or institutional outbreaks in at least two but fewer than half of the state’s regions as well as recent laboratory-confirmed evidence of influenza in those regions.
Flu is not a reportable condition in Texas, but DSHS relies on reports from a surveillance network to classify flu activity. DSHS reports the weekly classifications to the CDC.
Latest Available DSHS Weekly Flu Surveillance Report
Historical DSHS Flu Surveillance Reports
TexasFlu.org
This flu surveillance item is updated each Tuesday.
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Ennis Tuberculosis Investigation — December 15, 2011
The Texas Department of State Health Services has completed follow-up testing of staff and others who tested negative as part of the tuberculosis investigation at Ennis High School in Ellis County earlier this year. This is a routine part of a TB investigation to detect the presence of TB bacteria in people who were exposed too recently to have a reaction to the first test. 1476 people were tested, and 52 had been exposed to the tuberculosis bacteria.
During initial testing in September and October, health officials analyzed 1,732 TB skin tests associated with the investigation. Of those, 237 had a positive test result, and 1,495 were negative.
A positive test result means the bacteria are in the body, but it does not mean the person has TB disease and is contagious. Those with a positive skin test are strongly encouraged to seek treatment and follow-up chest X-rays to determine if they have the disease. Symptoms of the disease include a bad cough lasting three weeks or longer, unexplained weight loss and night sweats.
DSHS has confirmed six cases of tuberculosis disease related to the investigation. That number includes the initial tuberculosis patient. All people who had TB disease have since been cleared to return to school or work.
Tuberculosis is treatable and not highly infectious. There were 1,385 cases of tuberculosis in 2010 in Texas and 1,500 cases in 2009.
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West Nile — November 1, 2011
DSHS has confirmed 19 human cases of West Nile neuroinvasive disease in Texas this year, a resident of Angelina County who died, a resident of Montgomery County, a resident from Dallas County, three from El Paso County and 13 from Harris County (one resident from Harris County died).
West Nile is a mosquito-borne virus. DSHS reminds Texans to reduce the risk of exposure by eliminating standing water and eliminating other mosquito breeding areas; making sure door, porch and window screens are in good condition; and using a repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 when outdoors in mosquito-infested areas.
West Nile in Texas
| |
Human Cases |
# Counties
Virus Detected3 |
| Year |
Cases1 |
Counties |
Deaths2 |
| 2011 |
19 |
5 |
2 |
13 |
| 2010 |
77 |
21 |
7 |
37 |
| 2009 |
93 |
30 |
9 |
54 |
| 2008 |
38 |
24 |
1 |
41 |
| 2007 |
170 |
59 |
17 |
93 |
| 2006 |
233 |
54 |
33 |
98 |
| 2005 |
128 |
49 |
11 |
78 |
| 2004 |
119 |
40 |
8 |
101 |
| 2003 |
439 |
86 |
43 |
190 |
| 2002 |
202 |
37 |
12 |
213 |
| Totals: |
1,518 |
1434 |
143 |
2384 |
West Nile in Texas
1 Of West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (meningitis or encephalitis)
2 Included in case counts
3 In humans, horses, birds or mosquitoes
4 Unduplicated
More West Nile data
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