{"id":2554,"date":"2018-11-13T14:01:15","date_gmt":"2018-11-13T14:01:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mybiosource.com\/learn\/?p=2554"},"modified":"2023-03-13T10:07:52","modified_gmt":"2023-03-13T10:07:52","slug":"influenza-series-who-influenza-updates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mybiosource.com\/learn\/influenza-series-who-influenza-updates\/","title":{"rendered":"Influenza Series: WHO Influenza Updates"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Table of Contents<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. Global Influenza Update as of 15th October 2018<\/strong><\/a>
\n2. Overview of Influenza Surveillance in the United States<\/strong><\/a>
\n3. 2018-2019 Influenza Season Week 42 in the United States<\/strong><\/a>
\n4. Geographic Spread of Influenza in the United States<\/strong><\/a>
\n5. Influenza Activity in Four States with Local Influenza Activity<\/strong><\/a>
\n\u2022 North Dakota<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Oregon
\n\u2022 New Hampshire
\n\u2022 Massachusetts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

WHO influenza<\/span> update dated 15th<\/sup> October 2018 shows that the National Influenza<\/span> Centers (NICs) and other National Influenza<\/span> Laboratories from 95 countries or territories reported data from 17 September 2018 to 30 September 2018. More than 58772 specimens were tested and 2124 showed positive for influenza<\/span> viruses<\/span> while influenza<\/span> A was reported at 84.2% and influenza<\/span> B at 15.8%. Of the subtypes influenza<\/span> A viruses<\/span>, 74% accounted for influenza<\/span> A(H1N1<\/span>)pdm09, 26% were influenza<\/span> A(H3N2<\/span>) and for B viruses<\/span> 49% belonged to the B-Yamagata lineage and 51% to the B-Victoria lineage.<\/p>\n

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Overview of Influenza<\/span> Surveillance in the United States The influenza<\/span> season is determined by the flu activity which varies from season to season with the activity starting to increase in October, peaking in December to February and continuing into May. For CDC<\/span>, the reporting period for each season starts during Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) week 40 and finishing week 39 of the following year. For the year 2018-2019, the season started on September 30, 2018, ending on September 28, 2019. As influenza<\/span> is not a reported disease, the total number of people affected by it is not exactly known. However, the surveillance of the flu-related illness is conducted by the CDC<\/span> through Outpatient Influenza<\/span>-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet) and Flusurv-Net which procures the information on outpatient illness and on hospitalizations. In order to determine the burden of flu illness in the United States, a mathematical modeling is used in combination with the traditional flu surveillance systems. CDC<\/span> collects information from different data sources to find out the influenza<\/span> activity that is occurring, thereby monitoring influenza<\/span>-related illness, the types of the influenza<\/span> viruses<\/span> circulating, monitoring the changes of the viruses<\/span> and measuring the impact of the illness on hospitalizations and deaths. According to CDC<\/span> estimates, influenza<\/span> has resulted in around 9.3 million \u2013 49.0 million illnesses, between 140,000 \u2013 960,000 hospitalizations and between 12,000 \u2013 79,000 deaths every year since 2010.<\/p>\n

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2018 \u2013 2019 Influenza<\/span> Season Week 42 Although in the United States, the influenza<\/span> activity continues to remain low, the influenza<\/span> A(H1N1<\/span>)pfm09 viruses<\/span> are identified as the most commonly circulating viruses<\/span> by the public health laboratories. State health departments are responsible for reporting the influenza<\/span> activity in their states every week through the State and Territorial Epidemiologists Reports. The state reports the activity of the illness as; No activity<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 No laboratory-confirmed cases and no increase in the cases of influenza<\/span>-like illness (ILI<\/span>). Sporadic<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 Either a single or a few-laboratory confirmed cases of influenza<\/span> but no increase in the ILI<\/span> cases. Local<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 Outbreaks<\/span> of influenza<\/span> or the number of cases of ILI<\/span> has increased and laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza<\/span> in a single region of the state. Regional<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 Outbreaks<\/span> of influenza<\/span> or increase in the number of ILI<\/span> cases and recent laboratory-confirmed cases in at least two but less than half the regions of the state. Widespread<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 Outbreaks<\/span> of influenza<\/span> or increase in the number of ILI<\/span> cases and recent laboratory confirmed in at least half the regions of the state.<\/p>\n

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Geographic spread of Influenza<\/span> For the current Influenza<\/span> season 2018 \u2013 2018, week 42, the following influenza<\/span> activity was reported;<\/p>\n