CDC News and Highlights (Influenza): Avian Influenza, Disease Burden, ACIP Recommendations, Antivirals

["Centers for Disease Control & Prevention" <cdc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Title: CDC News and Highlights (Influenza): Avian Influenza, Disease Burden, ACIP Recommendations, Antivirals

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View the Latest Influenza Information From This Week.

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Influenza (Flu)

www.cdc.gov/flu 

Saving Lives. Protecting People. ^TM

CDC Influenza News and Highlights
February 27, 2015

What's New?

Situation Update: Summary of Weekly FluView

FluView - Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report

NEW! Avian Flu Update: H5 Viruses Detected Among U.S. Domestic and Wild Birds

ACIP reaffirms recommendation for annual influenza vaccination

WHO Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2015-2016 northern hemisphere

Flu Antivirals Drugs continue to be Under-utilized in High-Risk Patients

New CDC study highlights burden of pneumonia hospitalizations on U.S. children

Disease Burden of Influenza

Weekly Influenza Surveillance

Flu activity is still elevated in the United States but is declining. It is possible, however, that flu activity will continue for several weeks in parts of the country.

While H3N2 viruses remain most common, an increase in influenza B viruses has been detected in some parts of the country. This season has been severe for people 65 years and older [147 KB, 2 pages], with very high hospitalization rates being recorded.

Influenza antiviral drugs can treat flu illness. CDC recommends these drugs be used to treat people who are very sick or who are at high risk of serious flu-related complications who have flu symptoms. Early antiviral treatment works best.

Learn More!

Flu News & Spotlights

New and noteworthy influenza-related developments and feature stories.

• Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) reaffirms recommendation for annual influenza vaccination
• Avian Flu Update: H5 Viruses Detected Among U.S. Domestic and Wild Birds

Learn More!

Disease Burden of Influenza

The severity of influenza disease in the United States can vary widely and is determined by a number of things including the characteristics of circulating viruses, the timing of the season, how well the vaccine is working to protect against illness, and how many people got vaccinated. CDC tracks severity principally through its national Influenza Surveillance System that monitors key indicators like the percentage of deaths resulting from pneumonia or influenza, rates of influenza-associated hospitalizations, pediatric deaths and the percentage of visits to outpatient clinics for influenza-like illness. In addition to using surveillance data, CDC uses mathematical models to fill in the picture of the disease burden and the impact of influenza immunization programs. Models are used to augment surveillance because most of the surveillance systems only look at portions of the U.S. population and in some cases there can be significant under-reporting of influenza deaths and hospitalizations.

Learn More!

Content source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases

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