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Despite a drop in reported influenza activity noted in today's FluView Report (possibly an artifact from the New Year's Holiday), today the CDC has issued a HAN advisory on the still elevated levels of influenza-related illness across the nation.
While the severity of illness with this year's flu season has not risen to the heights we've seen in recent years, that could still change in the weeks ahead, particularly if influenza A/H1N1 (or worse, A/H3N2) supplants influenza B as the dominant strain.
Some of the highlights of today's FluView report include:
Key Points
- Levels of outpatient ILI remain elevated; however hospitalization rates and percent of deaths due to pneumonia and influenza remain low. This is likely due to the predominance of influenza B/Victoria and influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses which are more likely to affect children and younger adults than the elderly. Because the majority of hospitalizations and deaths occur among people age 65 and older, with fewer illnesses among that group, we expect, on a population level, to see less impact in flu-related hospitalizations and deaths.
- The decline in outpatient ILI and laboratory data this week may in part be influenced by changes in healthcare seeking behavior and influenza virus transmission that can occur during the holidays. It is too early to know whether the season has peaked or if flu activity will increase into January.
- CDC estimates that so far this season there have been at least 9.7 million flu illnesses, 87,000 hospitalizations and 4,800 deaths from flu.
- It’s not too late to get vaccinated. Flu vaccination is always the best way to prevent flu and its potentially serious complications.
- Antiviral medications are an important adjunct to flu vaccine in the control of influenza. Almost all (>99%) of the influenza viruses tested this season are susceptible to the four FDA-approved influenza antiviral medications recommended for use in the U.S. this season.
Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality
Five influenza-associated pediatric deaths occurring in weeks 52 (the week ending December 28, 2019) and 1 (the week ending January 4, 2020) were reported to CDC during week 1. Three were associated with influenza B viruses that did not have a lineage determined, and two were associated with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses.
A total of 32 influenza-associated pediatric deaths occurring during the 2019-2020 season have been reported to CDC.
- 21 deaths were associated with influenza B viruses. Five of these had the lineage determined and all were B/Victoria viruses.
- 11 deaths were associated with influenza A viruses. Six of these had subtyping performed and all were A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses.
(Continue . . . .)
HAN (Health Alert Network) Advisories are used to convey important information to public health officials, laboratorians, and/or clinicians on specific incidents or situations; and generally contain recommendations and/or actionable items.
You'll find some excerpts from today's much larger HAN Advisory . Follow the link to read it in its entirety.
Elevated Influenza Activity: Influenza B/Victoria and A(H1N1)pdm09 Viruses are the Predominant Viruses
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reminds clinicians that influenza B viruses can cause severe illness in people of all ages, including children. CDC continues to recommend influenza vaccination and prompt antiviral treatment of high-risk outpatients and hospitalized patients with suspected influenza.
Summary
This health advisory notifies clinicians that influenza activity remains high in the United States. Ongoing elevated activity is due to influenza B/Victoria viruses, increasing circulation of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses, and low levels of influenza B/Yamagata and influenza A(H3N2) viruses. CDC’s influenza forecasts suggest that national influenza activity will remain elevated for several more weeks. Because influenza activity is elevated and both influenza A and B virus infections can cause severe disease and death, this health advisory also serves as a reminder that early treatment with antiviral medications improves outcomes in patients with influenza. Early treatment with antiviral medications is recommended for hospitalized patients and high-risk outpatients, including children younger than two years. Clinicians should continue efforts to vaccinate patients for as long as influenza viruses are circulating, and promptly start antiviral treatment of severely ill and high-risk patients with suspected influenza without waiting for laboratory confirmation.
