Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/flu-scan-apr-17-2020
Flu Scan for Apr 17, 2020
US flu activity falls; Avian flu outbreaks in Europe
Filed Under:
Influenza, General; Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
US flu activity now low, CDC says
Laboratory-confirmed influenza activity in the United States is now low, and influenza-like illness (ILI) activity is lower but still elevated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest FluView report.
The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for flu dropped from 0.9% to 0.4% the week ending Apr 11, the CDC said, while visits to healthcare providers for ILI decreased from 3.9% to 2.9%, which is still above the national baseline of 2.4%. Five of 10 US regions remain at or above their baselines. The number of jurisdictions experiencing high or very high ILI activity decreased from 21 to 12, and the number of jurisdictions reporting regional or widespread influenza activity fell from 31 to 17.
The overall cumulative hospitalization rate for the season increased to 68.3 per 100,000 population, up from 68.2 per 100,000 population the previous week, and the percentage of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza rose to 11.9%, above the epidemic threshold of 7.0%. In addition, 2 more pediatric influenza deaths were reported, bringing the total for the season to 168, and the hospitalization rate for children 0 to 4 years old remains high (94.5 per 100,000 population).
The CDC continues to caution that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people and the reasons for seeking care in emergency departments and outpatient settings are changing, which may affect the data reported to the ILI Surveillance Network.
Apr 17 CDC FluView report
H5N8 avian flu strikes more poultry in 2 European countries
Two European countries—Bulgaria and Hungary—reported more highly pathogenic H5N8 avian flu outbreaks in poultry, according to notifications from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
Bulgaria reported two outbreaks, one in Kardzali province that began on Mar 3 and one in Plovdiv province that started on Mar 12. Both occurred on farms in the south central part of the country. Between the two locations, the virus killed 1,345 of 55,920 birds. The rest were culled to slow the spread of the virus.
Hungary, in two separate reports, detailed 53 more H5N8 outbreaks that began from Apr 4 to Apr 11. One report notes 49 outbreaks on farms in Bacs-Kiskun County in the south. Taken together, the virus killed 2,192 of 384,973 birds. The survivors were destroyed to curb the spread of the virus. Though the source of the outbreak isn't known, animal health officials said wind, high humidity, and human contact contributed to the spread of the virus.
The other report described 4 outbreaks on farms in Csongrad County, also in southern Hungary. In those outbreaks, outbreaks killed 219 of 49,400 susceptible birds, and the rest were culled as part of the response.
Apr 15 OIE report on H5N8 in Bulgaria
Apr 16 OIE report on 49 H5N8 outbreaks in Hungary
Apr 15 OIE report on 4 H5N8 outbreaks in Hungary
Flu Scan for Apr 17, 2020
US flu activity falls; Avian flu outbreaks in Europe
Filed Under:
Influenza, General; Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
US flu activity now low, CDC says
Laboratory-confirmed influenza activity in the United States is now low, and influenza-like illness (ILI) activity is lower but still elevated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest FluView report.
The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for flu dropped from 0.9% to 0.4% the week ending Apr 11, the CDC said, while visits to healthcare providers for ILI decreased from 3.9% to 2.9%, which is still above the national baseline of 2.4%. Five of 10 US regions remain at or above their baselines. The number of jurisdictions experiencing high or very high ILI activity decreased from 21 to 12, and the number of jurisdictions reporting regional or widespread influenza activity fell from 31 to 17.
The overall cumulative hospitalization rate for the season increased to 68.3 per 100,000 population, up from 68.2 per 100,000 population the previous week, and the percentage of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza rose to 11.9%, above the epidemic threshold of 7.0%. In addition, 2 more pediatric influenza deaths were reported, bringing the total for the season to 168, and the hospitalization rate for children 0 to 4 years old remains high (94.5 per 100,000 population).
The CDC continues to caution that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people and the reasons for seeking care in emergency departments and outpatient settings are changing, which may affect the data reported to the ILI Surveillance Network.
Apr 17 CDC FluView report
H5N8 avian flu strikes more poultry in 2 European countries
Two European countries—Bulgaria and Hungary—reported more highly pathogenic H5N8 avian flu outbreaks in poultry, according to notifications from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
Bulgaria reported two outbreaks, one in Kardzali province that began on Mar 3 and one in Plovdiv province that started on Mar 12. Both occurred on farms in the south central part of the country. Between the two locations, the virus killed 1,345 of 55,920 birds. The rest were culled to slow the spread of the virus.
Hungary, in two separate reports, detailed 53 more H5N8 outbreaks that began from Apr 4 to Apr 11. One report notes 49 outbreaks on farms in Bacs-Kiskun County in the south. Taken together, the virus killed 2,192 of 384,973 birds. The survivors were destroyed to curb the spread of the virus. Though the source of the outbreak isn't known, animal health officials said wind, high humidity, and human contact contributed to the spread of the virus.
The other report described 4 outbreaks on farms in Csongrad County, also in southern Hungary. In those outbreaks, outbreaks killed 219 of 49,400 susceptible birds, and the rest were culled as part of the response.
Apr 15 OIE report on H5N8 in Bulgaria
Apr 16 OIE report on 49 H5N8 outbreaks in Hungary
Apr 15 OIE report on 4 H5N8 outbreaks in Hungary