Update, Influenza Activity -- United States and Canada
United States: New York: On November 16, 1982, the New York
State Health Department was informed that an outbreak of febrile
respiratory illness was developing among the 390 residents enrolled
at
a job corp training center located in Sullivan County, New York.
On
November 18, an epidemiologist from the New York State Health
Department visited the center and interviewed the residents who
reported having a febrile respiratory illness in November. Only
one
resident was ill before November 13, but 24 more cases were
reported
through November 18. The residents and several staff members
described having an acute illness with myalgia and cough, usually
accompanied by fever ( greater than or equal to 38.9 C (102 F))
and
sore throat. Specimens were collected from six residents who were
ill
at the time of the investigation, and influenza type A(H3N2) virus
was
later isolated from two of the six specimens.
Ten residents had onset of influenza on November 18 when the
outbreak abruptly terminated as the residents were dispersed to
their
homes for a Thanksgiving holiday vacation. When they returned
after
vacation, no unusual prevalence of respiratory illness was
observed.
This episode represents the first documented outbreak of influenza
in
the 48 continental states this season.
Texas: The first reported influenza virus isolates have been
identified from specimens collected on November 22 and 30 from
children in Houston with sporadic influenza illness. This report
brings the number of states reporting influenza virus isolates of
type
A(H3N2) virus, to 8: Alaska, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
Canada: Several isolates of influenza type A(H3N2) virus have
been reported by Canadian health officials from specimens collected
from persons ranging in age from 10 to 64. Six of the isolates
were
from British Columbia, three from Alberta, and two from
Saskatchewan.
Influenza activity was described at low levels throughout British
Columbia and as sporadic in two locations in Alberta and around the
area of Regina, Saskatchewan.
Reported by R Deibel, MD, R Rothenberg, MD, State Epidemiologist,
New
York State Dept of Health; P Glezen, MD, Baylor College of
Medicine,
Houston, C Webb, Jr, MD, State Epidemiologist, Texas State Dept of
Health; Bureau of Epidemiology, Laboratory Centre for Disease
Control,
Ottawa, Ontario; WHO Collaborating Center for Influenza, Influenza
Br,
Center for Infectious Diseases, CDC.
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