The first influenza type B outbreak this season has recently
been
documented in a 175-bed facility for elderly patients in Portland,
Maine, where increases in influenza-like illness were noted in late
January and continued through early March. Approximately 45% of
the
residents had influenza-like illnesses during the outbreak; six
were
affected by x-ray-documented pneumonia, and three others died
following influenza-like illness. Six influenza type B isolates
have
been obtained from patients at this facility and identified at the
Maine state health laboratory and at CDC.
Arkansas and New Jersey have recently reported their first
influenza virus isolates of the season; both were type A(H3N2).
For the week ending March 11, 1983, an excess in the ratio of
pneumonia and influenza (P&I) deaths to total deaths was reported
from
121 cities for the ninth consecutive week. The ratio was 5.3, and
the
expected ratio was 4.2. Five states (Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,
Nebraska, and Virginia) reported widespread influenza activity, and
11
states reported regional activity.
Reported by B Zolov, MD, Portland, A Littlefield, E Cotton, M
Duplessis, T Lee, PhD, Maine State Dept of Human Svcs; Respective
state epidemiologists and laboratory directors; Div of Surveillance
and Epidemiologic Studies, Epidemiology Program Office, Epidemic
Investigations Br, Hospital Infections Program, WHO Collaborating
Center for Influenza, Influenza Br, Div of Viral Diseases, Center
for
Infectious Diseases, CDC.
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