Since 1983, CDC has published the CDC Surveillance Summaries
under separate cover as part of the MMWR series. Each report
published in the CDC Surveillance Summaries focuses on public
health surveillance; surveillance findings are reported for a broad
range of risk factors and health conditions.
Summaries for each of the reports published in the most recent
(September 4, 1992) issue of the CDC Surveillance Summaries (1) are
provided below. All subscribers to MMWR receive the CDC
Surveillance Summaries, as well as the MMWR Recommendations and
Reports, as part of their subscriptions.
ABORTION SURVEILLANCE -- UNITED STATES, 1989
Since 1980, the number of legal induced abortions reported to
CDC has remained stable, varying each year by less than 5%. In
1989, 1,396,658 abortions were reported -- a 1.9% increase from
1988.
The abortion ratio for 1989 was 346 legal induced abortions/1000
live births, and the abortion rate was 24/1000 women ages 15-44
years. The abortion ratio was highest for black women and women of
other minority racial groups and for women less than 15 years of
age. Women undergoing abortions tended to be young, white, and
unmarried; to have had no previous live births; and to be having
the procedure for the first time. Approximately half of all
abortions were performed before the 8th week of gestation, and 87%
were before the 13th week of gestation. Younger women tended to
obtain abortions later in pregnancy than older women.
This report also includes newly reported abortion-related
deaths for 1986 and 1987, as well as an update on abortion-related
deaths for the period 1978-1985. Ten deaths in 1986 and six deaths
in 1987 were associated with legal induced abortion. The
case-fatality rate in 1986 was 0.8 abortion-related deaths/100,000
legal induced abortions and 0.4/100,000 in 1987.
Authors: Lisa M. Koonin, MN, MPH, Jack C. Smith, MS, Merrell
Ramick, Herschel Lawson, MD, Division of Reproductive Health,
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion, CDC.
INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE -- UNITED STATES, 1991-92
During the 1991-92 influenza season, substantial levels of
influenza activity began to be reported in the United States in
early November 1991, 5-10 weeks earlier than in any of the previous
nine influenza seasons. Influenza activity peaked from mid-December
1991 to mid-January 1992. By early March 1992, influenza activity
as measured by all four surveillance systems had returned to
baseline levels, 5-8 weeks earlier than average for the previous
nine influenza seasons. The pneumonia and influenza deaths from the
121 cities participating in surveillance exceeded the epidemic
threshold for 7 consecutive weeks during the season, demonstrating
excess mortality due to influenza during this season.
Nationally, greater than 99% of isolates were influenza A. Of
these, 81% were influenza A(H3N2) and 19% were influenza A(H1N1).
The majority of isolates characterized were antigenically similar
to components in the 1991-92 influenza vaccine. However, an
influenza A(H1N1) strain that had undergone antigenic drift was
detected in many regions of the country, and this strain will be
included in the 1992-93 influenza vaccine.
Authors: Joseph H. Kent, MD, Louisa E. Chapman, MD, MSPH, Leone M.
Schmeltz, Lawrence B. Schonberger, MD, MPH, Epidemiology Activity,
Office of the Director; Helen L. Regnery, PhD, Nancy J. Cox, PhD,
The WHO Collaborating Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and
Control of Influenza, Influenza Branch, Division of Viral and
Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, CDC.
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