Week 5: January 28 – February 3, 2018
State influenza and influenza-like illness (ILI) activity:
• Flu activity increased sharply for the fourth week in a row and remained higher than any other recent flu season. In week 5, flu activity was above peak levels observed in past flu seasons.
• People at high-risk for complications from influenza infection, such as children, adults aged 65 years and older and pregnant women continued to be most impacted.
• No new influenza-associated pediatric deaths were confirmed. Five influenza-associated pediatric deaths have been confirmed in the 2017-18 influenza season.
• Overall, deaths due to pneumonia and influenza were higher than expected and are expected to increase over the coming weeks. Most deaths occurred in people aged 65 years and older. The majority of deaths in people aged 64 years and younger occurred in people with underlying health conditions (58%).
• Eighty-two outbreaks of influenza and ILI were reported: 37 with confirmation of influenza and 45 ILI. As of week 5 (ending February 3, 2018), 319 outbreaks of influenza and ILI have been reported since the start of the 2017-18 season.
Immunizations and prevention:
• The Florida Department of Health recommends that sick people stay home until fever-free for at least 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and that all people use good handwashing practices.
• Those who have not been vaccinated should get vaccinated as soon as possible. Though flu vaccines can vary in effectiveness from season to season, flu vaccines are safe and are the best way to prevent influenza infection and serious influenza complications. To find a flu shot near you, please visit: www.floridahealth.gov/findaflushot.
• A recent study showed that flu vaccination can reduce a child’s likelihood of dying from influenza by 50-60%. For more information, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0403-flu-vaccine.html.
Treatment:
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the use of antiviral treatment as soon as possible for all hospitalized, severely ill, and people who are at higher risk for complications with suspect influenza: children <2 years old, adults ≥65 years old, pregnant women, and those with underlying medical conditions. Treatment should be administered within 48 hours of illness onset (but treatment administered after this period can still be beneficial). A recent CDC health advisory stresses the importance of rapid and early antiviral treatment this season. For more information, visit: http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/influenza/_documents/cdc-han-influenza-12-27-2017.pdf.
• Clinicians should not wait for laboratory confirmation to administer antivirals to people with suspect influenza.
National influenza activity:
• Influenza activity continued to increase and was well above the national baseline. Most states are experiencing high levels of ILI activity.
• As in Florida, influenza A (H3) has been the most common strain of influenza identified.
View the 2018 Week 5 Flu Review
Influenza, or flu, is a respiratory infection caused by a variety of flu viruses. The “flu” is a common catch-all term used for a variety of illnesses, but it correctly applies only to the upper respiratory disease caused by the influenza virus. To locate a flu shot near you, contact your physician, your local county health department, or use the Florida Department of Health’s flu shot locator.
Estimates are that between 15% and 40% of the population will develop illness from influenza every year. An average of about 36,000 people per year in the United States die from influenza, and 114,000 per year have to be admitted to the hospital as a result of influenza infection. Anyone can get the flu (even healthy people), and serious problems from influenza can happen at any age. People age 65 years and older, people of any age with chronic medical conditions, and very young children are more likely to get complications from influenza.
