Flu on uptick in Alaska; two deaths reported

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.adn.com/2014/01/03/325755...wo-deaths.html

Flu on uptick in Alaska; two deaths reported
By TEGAN HANLON
January 3, 2014 Updated 5 hours ago

Two adult Alaskans died from the flu in the past week, while cases of the seasonal disease skyrocketed in the state throughout December.

"We're definitely right in the thick of flu season," said Dr. Brian Yablon, a state epidemiologist with the Department of Health and Social Services.

The deaths mark the first reported influenza fatalities for the 2013-2014 flu season in Alaska, according to the department. But this doesn't mean the flu hasn't killed before. New regulations took effect Dec. 29 and mandated that health care facilities start routinely reporting adult flu deaths to the state. Before, it had only tracked deaths among children...

[tetano]

Re: Flu on uptick in Alaska; two deaths reported

Alaska flu cases spike; season hasn't peaked



ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Cases of the flu spiked in Alaska at the end of December and into January with the state-recorded count triple the number at the beginning of the season, officials said.

Despite the spike, health officials don't think the season has peaked and are encouraging all people to get vaccinated.

"We haven't peaked, we don't think," Donna Fearey, state nurse epidemiologist, told the Anchorage Daily News. "We expect to see further increase in activity."

...

http://www.newsminer.com/news/alaska_news/alaska-flu-cases-spike-season-hasn-t-peaked/article_90c8ccba-8145-11e3-b40d-0019bb30f31a.html

[NS1]

Re: Flu on uptick in Alaska; two deaths reported

pH1N1
Data Sparsity
Alaska

A total of 4 sequences are on file from US Public Health sources to describe the entire state of Alaska for the current season (s2013), the last season (s2012) and the inter-season (i2013).

• 2013-November
• 2013-October
• 2013-June
• 2012-December

The single s2012 sequence carried predictive genetics at the Hemagglutinin and Neuraminidase segments, but no follow-up deposits were made public.

Statistically, can two seasons of a geographically and climatically distinct area be quantified by a sample population of 4?

[NS1]

Re: Flu on uptick in Alaska; two deaths reported

pH1N1 Drug Resistant Low Reactor
CDC Fall 2013

Map - Active and Detailed

<div style="text-align: center;">
<hr style="width: 30%;" />46 Cases over 49 Sequences<hr style="width: 30%;" /></div>
Introduction

In the 32 days covering 2013-10-17 to 2013-11-19, the&nbsp;<span style="color: #783f04;"><b>United States CDC</b></span>&nbsp;released a total of 49&nbsp;<b><span style="color: #632423; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;;">pH1N1</span></b>&nbsp;sequences at&nbsp;<strong>GISAID&nbsp;</strong>on 46 human cases<strong>&nbsp;</strong>sampled from February 2013 to October 2013. Geographic surveillance includes&nbsp;<b>America,</b>&nbsp;<b>Africa, Asia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay&nbsp;</b>and<b>&nbsp;Peru.&nbsp;</b>

The sequences in this Analytic Report describe a high level of genetic activity at the <b><span style="color: #274e13;">Hemagglutinin</span></b> <b><span style="color: #660000;">antigenic area</span></b> between <b><span style="color: blue;">aa155</span></b> and <b><span style="color: blue;">aa158</span></b> with <b>5</b> amino variations and <b>4</b> silent revisions. &nbsp; <b><span style="color: #274e13;">HA</span></b> <b><span style="color: blue;">225G</span></b> is present in <b><span style="color: #660000;">quasi-species</span></b> on <b>2</b>&nbsp;American samples and as dominant form in <b>2</b> tropical countries. The <b>Dominican Republic</b> <b><span style="color: #274e13;">HA</span></b> <b><span style="color: blue;">225G</span></b>&nbsp;<b><span style="color: #660000;">Low Reactor</span></b> appears on a <b><span style="color: #7f6000;">TamiFlu Resistant</span></b> strain. &nbsp;<b><span style="color: #7f6000;">Drug Resistance</span></b> is also found in <b>2</b> US sequences and <b>1</b> South American case.
. . .

Read the Open-Access, Full-Text
Investigational Analytic
including Genetic Details

[NS1]

Re: Flu on uptick in Alaska; two deaths reported

pH1N1 Drug Resistance & Vaccine Escape
CDC Fall 2013

Map - Active and Detailed

<div style="text-align: center;">
<hr style="width: 30%;" />29 Cases over 32 Sequences<hr style="width: 30%;" /></div>
Introduction

In the week from 2013-11-22 to 2013-11-29, the&nbsp;<span style="color: #783f04;"><b>United States CDC</b></span>&nbsp;released or updated a total of 32&nbsp;<b><span style="color: #632423; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;;">pH1N1</span></b>&nbsp;sequences at&nbsp;<strong>GISAID&nbsp;</strong>on 29 human cases<strong>&nbsp;</strong>sampled from July 2013 to November 2013. Geographic surveillance includes&nbsp;<b>America,</b>&nbsp;<b>India&nbsp;</b>and<b>&nbsp;Hong Kong.&nbsp;</b>

. . .

Read the Open-Access, Full-Text
Investigational Analytic
including Genetic Details

[NS1]

Re: Flu on uptick in Alaska; two deaths reported

pH1N1
Data Sparsity
Egg Passage
Winter 2013

2014-01-18-21:30
At the WeekEnd, Atlanta

A December Void

During the minimal pH1N1 case count in the Northern Hemisphere's 2012 season and post-season, the US CDC demonstrated the experimental importance of Egg Passage strategies. Variant polymorphisms known to drive deep lung involvement in humans were surfaced repeatedly from quasi-species. That egg-based experimentation was considered valuable and was pursued throughout much of 2013, but evidently not to quantify the actual circulating pH1N1 viral population . . . because the production came to a full halt at the moment that the US flu season's high fatality rates became public due to an unexpected re-emergence of pH1N1 . . .

Read the Open-Access, Full-Text
Synoptic