# 6555
I’m sitting in on the AMA/IDSA Pandemic Preparedness webinar this morning, so this will be a quick update.
The CDC has released their weekly FluView and Variant Flu update, and the number of new H3N2v flu cases shows only a small increase (n=9) over last week.
This week’s FluView has details on these 9 cases, plus one additional H1N1v case identified in Missouri.
2011-2012 Influenza Season Week 36 ending September 8, 2012
Novel Influenza A Virus:
From July 12 through September 13, 2012, a total of 305 infections with influenza A (H3N2) variant (H3N2v) viruses have been reported from ten states. This is an increase of 9 over last week’s report. Cumulative totals by state since July 15 are: Hawaii [1], Illinois [4], Indiana [138], Maryland [12], Michigan [6], Minnesota [4], Ohio [106], Pennsylvania [11], West Virginia [3], and Wisconsin [20]. Sixteen H3N2v-associated hospitalizations and one H3N2v-associated death have been reported. The vast majority of cases have occurred after prolonged swine exposure, though instances of likely human-to-human transmission have been identified. At this time no ongoing human-to-human transmission has been identified.
Public health and agriculture officials are investigating the extent of disease among humans and swine, and additional cases are likely to be identified as the investigations continue. Because of reporting schedules, state totals posted by CDC may not always be consistent with those reported by state health departments. If there is a discrepancy between state and CDC case counts, data from the state health department should be used as the most accurate number.
As a result of enhanced surveillance activities for H3N2v, one infection with an influenza A (H1N1) variant (H1N1v) virus has been detected in Missouri in a patient who became ill after contact with swine. The patient has recovered from their illness. Confirmatory testing at CDC identified H1N1v with the matrix (M) gene from the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus in specimens collected from this patient. Cases of H1N1v have been detected previously, and the current case marks the second report of H1N1v with the M gene from the 2009 H1N1 virus. This H1N1v case, in addition to the H3N2v cases outlined above and the H1N2v cases reported previously, brings the total number of variant influenza virus infections detected since July 2012 to 309.
