California flu deaths in people under sixty-five rises to 278
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported yesterday that the 2013-2014 influenza season has been particularly hard on younger- and middle-age adults and the Golden State certainly backs up that claim.
Generic influenza virion
Image/CDC
Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and state health officer, announced today the number of confirmed influenza related deaths in persons under 65 years of age reported in the state has increased by 35 to a total of 278 confirmed deaths for the 2013-14 season.
There are an additional 29 deaths under investigation, not yet confirmed.
The CDC noted that people age 18-64 represented 61 percent of all hospitalizations from influenza—up from the previous three seasons when this age group represented only about 35 percent of all such hospitalizations. Influenza deaths followed the same pattern; more deaths than usual occurred in this younger age group.
The current California numbers compare to last season’s 32 influenza fatalities in persons under 65 years of age and 106 fatalities in total.
The influenza season status remains widespread in California.
U.S. flu surveillance data suggests that flu activity is likely to continue for a number of weeks, especially in places where activity started later in the season.
The CDC says while flu is responsible for serious illness and death every season, the people who are most affected can vary by season and by the predominant influenza virus.
The currently circulating H1N1 virus emerged in 2009 to trigger a pandemic, which was notable for high rates of hospitalization and death in younger- and middle-aged people. While H1N1 viruses have continued to circulate since the pandemic, this is the first season since the pandemic they have been predominant in the U.S. Once again, the virus is causing severe illness in younger- and middle-aged people.
The 278 confirmed influenza-associated deaths this season have been reported by the following jurisdictions: Alameda (6), Butte (1), Calaveras (2), Contra Costa (6), El Dorado (2), Fresno (21), Glenn (1), Humboldt (1), Imperial (1), Kern (10), Kings (4), Lake (1), Lassen (1), Long Beach (7), Los Angeles (36), Madera (2), Marin (2), Mendocino (4), Merced (5), Monterey (5), Nevada (1), Orange (10), Riverside (10), Sacramento (25), San Bernardino (19), San Diego (23), San Francisco (3), San Joaquin (6), San Luis Obispo (1), San Mateo (6), Santa Barbara (3), Santa Clara (14), Santa Cruz (3), Shasta (3), Siskiyou (2), Solano (3), Sonoma (7), Stanislaus (13), Sutter (1), Tulare (3), Tuolumne (1) and Ventura (3).
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