Flu Deaths Hit Epidemic Threshold

Higher than normal rates of influenza-like illness are being seen across the U.S. In the week ended Dec. 20, 6.8% of all deaths observed through the agency’s 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System were attributed to pneumonia and flu. That matches the epidemic threshold for week 51 of 2014, calculated to be significantly higher than a seasonal baseline that uses data for the same week in the previous five years. There were four pediatric deaths associated with the flu in week 51, leading to a cumulative total of 15 since the week ending Sept. 28. The CDC has noted that most of the H3N2 flu that is circulating does not match the H3N2 component of the seasonal vaccine. Those factors could combine to make this an unusually harsh flu season, but, all of the tested samples, regardless of subtype or strain, were susceptible to neuraminidase inhibitors such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza). — CDC alert Dec 14, 2014