CDC: More Than 1 Million Americans Infected to Date With Pandemic H1N1
It's all swine flu all the time. Here's the latest from the CDC by way of the MMWR.
- Estimated, cumulative number of pandemic H1N1 infections in the United States between April and June: more than 1 million. (See yesterday's post, for example, for how the estimated case number affects the estimated mortality rate.)
- Peaks of activity: May and June nationwide; late August in the Southeast.
- Confirmed H1N1 hospitalization rate from April to August: generally lower than that for seasonal influenza but higher than usual for the time period.
- In-hospital death rate from mid-April to August 30th: 6.5% (593/9079); proportion of deaths due to pneumonia and influenza "within the bounds" of summertime expectations.
- Circulating virus: 97% pandemic H1N1 that is sensitive to antiviral treatment.
- Antiviral drug sensitivity: 99.4% of 1372 tested samples are susceptible to oseltamivir (Tamiflu; Roche); oseltamivir-resistant viruses still susceptible to zanamivir (Relenza; GSK); all viruses resistant to amantadine and rimantadine.
- Recommendations for persons with influenza-like illness (ILI): after afebrile (untreated), stay home for another 24 hours.
- Antiviral treatment recommendations: early therapy for persons with severe ILI and those individuals with suspected ILI and risk factors for complications (<5 years of age; >64 years of age; or underlying health conditions, including pregnancy).
- Vaccines for seasonal influenza: available now and urged for all children, persons 50 years of age or older, and those at greater risk for influenza-related complications.
- Vaccines for pandemic H1N1: still expected by mid-October; first in line have already been designated by the CDC.
Depiction of H1N1 virus from Wikipedia.
