US flu exercise ebbed a bit however remained excessive and above the baseline for the twelfth straight week final week, with greater than 43,000 hospitalizations and 18 deaths, all of them youngsters, the US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) mentioned at the moment in its weekly surveillance report.
The CDC additionally famous 18 new pediatric flu deaths and mentioned it “doesn’t anticipate” posting any extra updates on respiratory illness exercise this season.
COVID-19 ranges are at low however elevated ranges in lots of components of the nation, whereas respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) circumstances are at average ranges and declining, the CDC reported. The height for COVID-related hospital demand was decrease this season than all earlier seasons and practically 50% decrease than final season’s peak.
Excessive flu severity for all age-groups
Flu check positivity was 26.9%, down from 31.6% the earlier week, whereas outpatient visits dropped from 7.8% to six.8%. Flu is excessive or very excessive in 44 jurisdictions in a season categorised as excessive severity for all age-groups.
Of the two,486 flu viruses public well being laboratories reported, 96% had been influenza A and 4% had been influenza B. Among the many 1,788 influenza A viruses subtyped, 62% had been the 2009 H1N1 pressure, 38% had been H3N2, and none had been H5, which might point out avian flu.
The CDC mentioned it does not anticipate producing further respiratory illness outlook updates for the remainder of the season, but it surely’s unclear if it’ll nonetheless submit updates solely on flu exercise.
The CDC estimates that, up to now this season, 19,000 individuals have died from flu and 430,000 individuals have been admitted to hospitals.
The company additionally confirmed 18 new flu-related deaths in youngsters, bringing the overall for the 2024-25 flu season to 86. Seventeen of these deaths had been attributed to influenza A, and the opposite to influenza B. Of 12 deadly influenza A viruses subtyped, 9 had been H1N1 and three had been H3N2.
Final respiratory illness replace of the season
The variety of individuals looking for look after an acute respiratory sickness was excessive final week, with very excessive exercise in Delaware, Kansas, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. the CDC mentioned. Take a look at positivity for COVID-19 (4.5%) and RSV (6.6%) was similar to final week’s proportions.
Wastewater viral exercise is excessive for influenza A, whereas it’s average for COVID-19 and low for RSV. Different respiratory sickness at excessive ranges embody pertussis (whooping cough), Mycoplasma pneumonia, and group A Streptococcus infections.
The CDC mentioned it does not anticipate producing further respiratory illness outlook updates for the remainder of the season, but it surely’s unclear if it’ll nonetheless submit updates solely on flu exercise.
