Rhiza Labs FluTracker Forum

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/02221 ... A_EMS.html

_________________
www.twitter.com/hniman

http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/354766

Lancaster County girl, 7, dies from flu

A 7-year-old Lancaster County girl recently died from complications of the flu, the state health department said.

The flu has claimed 39 lives in Pennsylvania so far this flu season, through Feb. 19, the last reporting period available.

It is unusual for children to die from the flu.

Across the country, only 46 to 153 flu-related deaths in children were reported annually to the federal Centers for Disease Control from 2003-2004 to 2009-2010.

In Lancaster County, the last known death of a child from influenza was in 2008. A 10-year-old girl died from influenza and complications of MRSA, a type of bacteria resistant to common antibiotics, early that year.

Pediatric flu deaths are often linked to other bacterial staph infections such as MRSA, the CDC notes.

People who carry the MRSA bacteria don't know it but can be at great risk when they get the flu.

Later in 2008, the CDC began recommending that all children get the flu vaccine.

pneumonia death ... flu not mentioned

Pocono
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.d ... -1/NEWSMAP

Melanie Barrie Goldman, 36, passed away on Monday, Feb. 14, due to complications from pneumonia and sepsis. Melanie was born on July 24, 1974, in Queens, N.Y.

She is survived by her father, Joel A. Goldman; mother, Rose Ann Goldman; stepmother, Janie Falcone; stepbrother, Andrew Colon; and aunts, uncles and cousins, in New York and California.

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=289567

The number of influenza cases has dramatically increased recently in Berks County and nationwide, local doctors and state and federal health officials said Tuesday.

The peak of the flu season is nigh and might be one of the more severe in recent years, they said.

"Flu is peaking and it's going to continue at least for another two months," said Dr. Kenneth J. DeBenedictis, Reading Hospital director of epidemiology, infection control and prevention.

So far, this flu season has not been particularly bad, but the number of flu patients has steadily risen over the last month, he said.

====


The recent increase in cases in Pennsylvania was more pronounced in the eastern part of the state, the state Health Department said.

The cases are defined as those in patients with a fever over 100 degrees and cough or sore throat with no other known cause.

Several area school districts said Tuesday that they have not seen any increase in absences due to the flu so far this year.

Though almost all cases have been seasonal flu, there has been a slight increase in H1N1 or swine flu cases throughout the state in the last two weeks.

DeBenedictis said that's true in Berks as well.

"There's been a bit of a shift in strains," he said.

Regular seasonal flu was by far the leading cause of local flulike symptoms until the end of January when the swine flu began a resurgence.

"Now H1N1 seems to be catching up locally," he said.

Five flu deaths in Pennsylvania were reported the week ending Feb. 12 and seven more the week ending Feb. 19, with 39 total since October, slightly more than in a normal year.

Most deaths are in the unvaccinated elderly.

But state statistics show that the flu most frequently hits healthy adults in the 25-to-49 age group, followed by the elderly.

Influenza (flu) activity continued to be categorized as WIDESPREAD during week 07. An increasing number of influenza cases continue to be reported in all counties of the state.
1, 898 flu cases were reported, up from 1, 632 cases reported the previous week. While all regions of the state reported increased flu activity, significant increases were reported in the southwestern regions.
19 Influenza outbreaks in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) were reported during week 7, up from 17 outbreaks reported the previous week. Ninety five (95) outbreaks have been reported since the begining of October 2010.
Emergency Department (ED) were elevated throughout the state during week 7.
4.5% of all outpatient Visits to doctors reported by sentinel physicians were for flu-like illnesses (IILI), which is nearly double the state baseline (2.4%).
Nearly 70% of all specimens tested for influenza at the state lab were positive. Specimens tested at the state lab are mostly from people with influenza-like illness(ILI). This high positivity suggests that most people presenting with ILI at this time have the flu.
Influenza type A continues to account for a majority (90%) of flu cases reported with flu type B causing the other 10%.
Of the 45 influenza specimens sutyped at the state lab during week 7, a majority, (27/60%) were the 2009 A/H1N1, 13(29%) were the seasonal A/H3N2, 2 (4%) were untyped influenza type A and 3 (7%) were influenza type B. There has been an increase in 2009 A/H1N1 flu cases during the last three weeks, and it appears to be mostly affecting people under 30 years of age.
In addition to seasonal viruses, two unrelated infections with a swine origin influenza A/H3N2 virus have been identified in Pennsylvania with onset dates in September 2010 and October 2010. In recent years this virus has also produced human illness elsewhere in the country, generally in association with direct contact with ill pigs. It has not been associated with person-to-person transmission. Clinicians should remain alert to the possibility of infection with this virus in persons with influenza-like illness who have a history of recent exposure to swine populations, and collect appropriate diagnostic specimens.
189 influenza hospitalizations were reported, most of them involving the elderly (>65 years) and young adults (25-49 years of age).
Five flu deaths were reported during week 7, including two deaths in healthy unvaccinated children. Altogether 39 flu deaths have been reported since October of 2010 including 4 deaths in children (<18years) and nearly half among the elderly (>65 years of age). Less than 30 flu deaths have are reported by February during most flu seasons (except last year when the pandemic A/H1N1 circulated). These deaths may be an underestimate of all flu-related deaths because not all deaths are reported to the state and there may be delays in reporting some deaths.
Influenza activity is likely to continue increasing over the next few weeks, and the recent deaths show us that severe and fatal illness can occur in health people through the season.
Most of the recent influenza hospitalizatons and deaths are in people who have no recent history of influenza vaccination.
Getting vaccinated is the first and best way to prevent flu, and Pennsylvania Department of Health continues to recommend vaccination at this time. As long as flu season isn’t over, it’s not too late to get vaccinated.
Flu vaccines are readily available this season and the vaccine is well matched to the circulating strains. The flu vaccine is good for anyone above 7 months of age. For information on influenza vaccination go to, flufreepa.com

_________________
www.twitter.com/hniman

More unsubtypables in week 7

_________________
www.twitter.com/hniman

Here's the hospitalization chart through Week 7.

_________________
I used to think I had to understand in order to believe, but then I realized that I had to believe in order to understand. - Augustine

_________________
www.twitter.com/hniman

47 flu deaths, including 4 deaths in children <18 years, have been reported in Pennsylvania since October 2010. Nearly half among the elderly (>65 years of age). Less than 30 flu deaths have are reported by February during most flu seasons (except last year when the pandemic A/H1N1 circulated). These deaths may be an underestimate of all flu-related deaths because not all deaths are reported to the state and there may be delays in reporting some deaths.

_________________
www.twitter.com/hniman

Table 2: County Distribution of all Influenza Cases Reported in Pennsylvania this season By Flu type, 10/05/2010-02/12/2011 (#=12, 309)**




Influenza Type
TOTAL

A
B
S
U

County
110
17
3
.
130

ADAMS

ALLEGHENY
803
343
92
50
1288

ARMSTRONG
67
21
.
1
89

BEAVER
74
42
1
.
117

BEDFORD
58
17
1
1
77

BERKS
165
19
12
1
197

BLAIR
92
10
.
.
102

BRADFORD
34
15
.
.
49

BUCKS
341
27
3
1
372

BUTLER
135
60
8
2
205

CAMBRIA
70
1
.
3
74

CAMERON
3
.
1
2
6

CARBON
67
7
.
2
76

CENTRE
239
30
53
1
323

CHESTER
255
10
8
22
295

CLARION
47
2
12
.
61

CLEARFIELD
49
11
.
1
61

CLINTON
114
3
.
.
117

COLUMBIA
91
14
2
.
107

CRAWFORD
88
13
2
.
103

CUMBERLAND
90
13
.
.
103

DAUPHIN
88
17
1
20
126

DELAWARE
242
12
8
.
262

ELK
44
2
.
.
46

ERIE
427
52
8
.
487

FAYETTE
205
48
1
1
255

FOREST
4
.
.
.
4

FRANKLIN
226
28
17
.
271

FULTON
50
2
.
.
52

GREENE
76
24
.
1
101

HUNTINGDON
62
3
.
.
65

INDIANA
69
27
3
.
99

JEFFERSON
74
4
2
.
80

JUNIATA
63
1
1
1
66

LACKAWANNA
98
4
5
.
107

LANCASTER
252
52
23
1
328

LAWRENCE
16
3
3
.
22

LEBANON
165
6
1
.
172

LEHIGH
536
89
6
.
631

LUZERNE
382
38
4
2
426

LYCOMING
339
69
.
2
410

MCKEAN
113
.
.
1
114

MERCER
39
14
3
.
56

MIFFLIN
111
9
2
.
122

MONROE
124
15
6
7
152

MONTGOMERY
479
27
9
.
515

MONTOUR
32
2
.
.
34

NORTHAMPTON
376
23
38
1
438

NORTHUMBERLAND
148
7
2
2
159

PERRY
20
.
.
.
20

PHILADELPHIA
624
19
24
3
670

PIKE
16
2
.
.
18

POTTER
28
2
.
.
30

SCHUYLKILL
156
11
5
1
173

SNYDER
174
4
.
1
179

SOMERSET
33
17
.
21
71

SULLIVAN
4
3
.
.
7

SUSQUEHANNA
14
.
1
.
15

TIOGA
25
3
3
.
31

UNION
159
3
4
.
166

VENANGO
74
12
3
.
89

WARREN
15
1
.
.
16

WASHINGTON
252
87
.
3
342

WAYNE
8
.
.
.
8

WESTMORELAND
476
228
10
8
722

WYOMING
7
3
.
.
10

YORK
168
17
5
.
190

All
10085
1665
396
163
12309

_________________
www.twitter.com/hniman