2007 - 2008 Texas Influenza Surveillance Information

Influenza Surveillance Report for MMWR Week 46

The influenza (flu) activity level for Texas for the week ending November 17, 2007 is “sporadic.” Sporadic activity indicates that isolated reports of lab confirmed influenza along with influenza-like illness (ILI) have been reported.

Reports were received from all 11 Health Service Regions (HSRs) for week 46. HSRs 1, 6/5S, 7, 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 46, four hospital laboratories throughout Texas and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Laboratory reported conducting a total of 570 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. A total of 32 positive antigen tests and one positive PCR test for influenza A (untyped) were reported from Bell, Bexar, and Nueces counties. Two positive cultures for influenza were reported in NREVSS. The first was identified as influenza A (H3N2) and was collected from a 21–year–old resident of San Patricio County. The second positive culture was identified as influenza A (untyped) and was collected from a resident of Brazos County. Three additional cultures were positive for influenza and were not reported through NREVSS: influenza A (untyped), collected from a resident of Bell County; influenza A (H3N2), submitted from a health care provider in Jim Hogg County; and influenza A (untyped), collected from a resident of Harris County. Additional positive results from point-of-care rapid flu tests were reported by providers throughout the state.

No institutional outbreaks or school closures were reported for week 46.

Forty–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 46. Forty–five providers reported seeing patients during week 46; of those, 30 (67%) providers reported seeing at least one patient with ILI. Of all patient visits during this week, 4.74% 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.

MMWR week 46 is the first week that the percentage of visits for ILI in Texas has exceeded the regional baseline; however, this percentage is based on reports from approximately half the number of SPSN providers who reported in previous weeks. This drop off in reporting and coincidental elevation over baseline for percentage of visits due to ILI is likely due to the Thanksgiving holiday and may not be an accurate representation of ILI in week 46.

The map showing influenza activity in the United States for MMWR week 46 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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