Flu Report: No End In Sight For Influenza’s Dramatic Rise
The Week 5 Influenza Report for Kane County shows flu emergency room visits continuing to climb, nearing the highest levels since the 2009-10 flu season.
Week 5 is the period between Jan. 28 and Feb. 3. It is the most recent report.
The good news is that Kane County school, with the exception of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, haven’t been hit too hard. The absentee rate in the Week 5 report for public schools in Kane County was 0.94 percent. No public school was closed for increased flu-related activity.
There have been no pediatric deaths related to the flu in Kane County. Nationwide, there were 10 more pediatric deaths in Week 5, bringing the total influenza-associated pediatric deaths to 63 for the 2017-2018 season, according to the Centers For Disease Control Surveillance Report.
Influenza surveillance for the Kane County Health Department includes the collection of data from hospital emergency rooms, laboratories, and public schools. Our participants have reported the following aggregate measures:
- Among five reporting hospital emergency rooms, 15.8 percent of visits were for influenza-like illness (ILI).
- During Week 5, six labs reported that 685 of 1,682 (40.7 percent) of specimens tested for influenza were positive. Of these 685 specimens: 599 (86.74 percent) were positive for Influenza A, 84 (12.3 percent) were positive for Influenza B, and 2 (0.3 percent) were positive for Influenza A/B.
- The ILI absenteeism rate for public schools in Kane County was 0.94 percent. No public school was closed.
- As of the week ending Feb. 3, there have been 44 cases of influenza-related ICU admission reported to the Health Department. No influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported.
- To date, 17 outbreaks of influenza have been reported in Long-Term Care/Assisted Living facilities in Kane County.
Nationwide Flu Report
During Week 5 (Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2018), influenza activity increased in the United States.
- Viral Surveillance: The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported by public health laboratories during week 5 was influenza A(H3). The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained elevated.
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality: The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) was above the system-specific epidemic threshold in the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System.- Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths: Ten influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported.
- Influenza-associated Hospitalizations: A cumulative rate of 59.9 laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalizations per 100,000 population was reported.
- Outpatient Illness Surveillance:The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) was 7.7%, which is above the national baseline of 2.2%. All 10 regions reported ILI at or above region-specific baseline levels. New York City, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 43 states experienced high ILI activity; three states experienced moderate ILI activity; two states experienced low ILI activity; and two states experienced minimal ILI activity.
- Geographic Spread of Influenza:The geographic spread of influenza in Puerto Rico and 48 states was reported as widespread; two states reported regional activity; the District of Columbia and Guam reported local activity; and the U.S. Virgin Islands reported sporadic activity.
Additional Resources
- KCHD Website Main Flu Page: HERE
- Kane County Health Department Influenza Website
- CDC Influenza Website
- Illinois Department of Public Health Website
- Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium
- CDC: Take Action To Prevent The Flu
SOURCE: Kane County Health Department Surveillance Report
