Weekly Influenza & Respiratory Activity: Statistics

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updated 5/23/13

May 12-18, 2013 (week 20 of 2013)

This is the last weekly update for the 2012-13 influenza season. Weekly updates will resume in October 2013.

All data are preliminary and may change as more reports are received.

PDF version for print: Weekly Influenza & Respiratory Activity: Statistics (PDF: 646KB/8 pages)

Influenza Activity Surveillance

  • The percentage of tests positive for influenza during week 20 as reported from the MN Lab System (MLS) Laboratory Influenza Surveillance Program
    • rapid influenza testing: 2.1%
    • PCR testing: 3.6%
    • Viral culture: 1 influenza B positive
  • The most commonly cultured strain identified so far this season at the MDH Public Health Laboratory is influenza A/H3.
  • Since the start of the influenza season through week 18, there have been 3,088 persons hospitalized with influenza.
  • Since the start of the influenza season through week 18, there have been 201 influenza-related deaths confirmed.
  • Since the start of the influenza season through week 20, 209 outbreaks of influenza in long-term care have been reported.
  • Since the start of the influenza season through week 20, 487 outbreaks of ILI in schools have been reported.
  • The percentage of influenza-like illness visits to outpatient clinics involved in the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance (ILINet) was below the regional baseline at 0%.

Circulating Respiratory Pathogen Surveillance

  • Of specimens tested by PCR from 3 outpatient sites for circulating viral respiratory pathogens in the previous 3 weeks for which data are available:
    • 17% were positive for rhinovirus
    • 10% were positive for human metapneumovirus
    • 5% were positive for coronavirus, of these
      • 67% were positive for coronavirus OC43
      • 33% were positive for coronavirus HKU1
    • 3% were positive for influenza, of these
      • 50% were positive for influenza B
      • 50% were positive for influenza A/H3
    • 3% were positive for parainfluenza virus, of these:
      • 50% were positive for parainfluenza virus 1
      • 50% were positive for parainfluenza virus 3
    • 2% were positive for respiratory synctial virus (RSV)
  • Of specimens culture positive for a viral pathogen at Minnesota’s 6 virology laboratories during week 20:
    • 2 were positive for parainfluenza virus 3
    • 1 was positive for adenovirus
    • 1 was positive for respiratory synctial virus (RSV)
    • 1 was positive for influenza B

Minnesota Influenza Activity Level

Minnesota influenza activity level graph.
Influenza Activity Level Definitions
Definitions of the weekly influenza activity estimates as reported by state and territorial epidemiologists.

National Influenza Activity Level

Map showing US flu surveillance data
Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report
Weekly influenza surveillance data prepared by the CDC. Attention: Non-MDH link

  • About Influenza Statistics
    Description on how influenza is monitored in Minnesota, along with links to CDC and WHO influenza reporting and annual summaries of influenza activity in Minnesota.

Updated Thursday, 23-May-2013 08:34:32 CDT