Ontario Respiratory Virus Bulletin, 2013-2014 (Weeks 51 and 52: December 15, 2013 ? December 28, 2013)
Summary of current and season-to-date respiratory virus activity in Ontario
Influenza activity in the 2013-2014 season to date is increasing; based on laboratory findings, influenza A is currently the predominant circulating influenza type with H1N1 the predominant circulating subtype.
o ?Sporadic? influenza activity during week 52 has been reported from the majority of health units across the province and at least one health unit within each health unit region (Figure 6).
o ?Localized? influenza activity during week 52 was reported in the City of Ottawa, Peel Region, Niagara Region, and Toronto health units (Figure 6).
o In week 52, there were a total of four new institutional respiratory outbreaks, one of which was reported as influenza B (Table 4).
o The percent positivity2 for influenza A and influenza B in week 52 was 24.6% and 0.3%, respectively (Table 3, Appendix: Figure I).
o A total of 908 influenza cases have been reported for the 2013-2014 surveillance season to date. Among these cases, the majority (96.6%, 877/908) were influenza A (Table 1).
o In the season to date, 268 hospitalizations and eight deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed influenza cases (Table 2). The majority of hospitalizations have occurred among influenza A cases (96.3%, 258/268).
o In week 52, the influenza-like illness (ILI) consultation rate was 63.1 per 1,000 patient visits (Figure 7).1
Among all other circulating respiratory viruses 2,3 in week 52 (Table 3):
o Rhinovirus had the highest percent positivity (8.1%), which was higher compared to the previous week (2.5%).
o Respiratory syncytial virus had the second highest percent positivity (7.8%), which was lower compared to the previous week (10.3%).
1 Small numbers of sentinels reporting can make the ILI consultation rates unstable. Please interpret these data cautiously.2 Based on positivity among specimens submitted for testing to laboratories reporting to the Public Health Agency of Canada?s Centre for Immunization and Respiratory Infectious Diseases (CIRID). 3 Percent positivity should be interpreted with caution as only four Ontario laboratories submitted results to the CIRID for week 51
...
Table 2. Hospitalizations and deaths among confirmed influenza cases by age group: Ontario, week 52 and cumulative (rates and numbers in brackets) for the 2013-2014 season
<TABLE dir=ltr border=1 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=7 width=647><TBODY><TR><TD height=15 vAlign=top width="20%">Age Group
</TD><TD height=15 vAlign=top width="20%">Number of Hospitalizations
</TD><TD height=15 vAlign=top width="20%">Cumulative Rate per 100,000
</TD><TD height=15 vAlign=top width="20%">Number of Deaths
</TD><TD height=15 vAlign=top width="20%">Cumulative Rate per 100,000
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%"><1
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">4 (29)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">19.85
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0 (0)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.00
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">1 ? 4
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">15 (37)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">6.32
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0 (0)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.00
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">5 ? 14
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">5 (14)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.94
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0 (0)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.00
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">15 ? 24
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">5 (11)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.60
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0 (0)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.00
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">25 ? 44
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">18 (40)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">1.07
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0 (1)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.03
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">45 ? 64
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">20 (74)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">1.95
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0 (4)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.11
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">65+
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">11 (63)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">3.19
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">1 (3)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.15
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">Unknown
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0 (0)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">-
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0 (0)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">-
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">Total
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">78 (268)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">1.98
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">1 (8)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.06
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
...
Full report:
Previous reports:
Summary of current and season-to-date respiratory virus activity in Ontario
Influenza activity in the 2013-2014 season to date is increasing; based on laboratory findings, influenza A is currently the predominant circulating influenza type with H1N1 the predominant circulating subtype.
o ?Sporadic? influenza activity during week 52 has been reported from the majority of health units across the province and at least one health unit within each health unit region (Figure 6).
o ?Localized? influenza activity during week 52 was reported in the City of Ottawa, Peel Region, Niagara Region, and Toronto health units (Figure 6).
o In week 52, there were a total of four new institutional respiratory outbreaks, one of which was reported as influenza B (Table 4).
o The percent positivity2 for influenza A and influenza B in week 52 was 24.6% and 0.3%, respectively (Table 3, Appendix: Figure I).
o A total of 908 influenza cases have been reported for the 2013-2014 surveillance season to date. Among these cases, the majority (96.6%, 877/908) were influenza A (Table 1).
o In the season to date, 268 hospitalizations and eight deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed influenza cases (Table 2). The majority of hospitalizations have occurred among influenza A cases (96.3%, 258/268).
o In week 52, the influenza-like illness (ILI) consultation rate was 63.1 per 1,000 patient visits (Figure 7).1
Among all other circulating respiratory viruses 2,3 in week 52 (Table 3):
o Rhinovirus had the highest percent positivity (8.1%), which was higher compared to the previous week (2.5%).
o Respiratory syncytial virus had the second highest percent positivity (7.8%), which was lower compared to the previous week (10.3%).
1 Small numbers of sentinels reporting can make the ILI consultation rates unstable. Please interpret these data cautiously.2 Based on positivity among specimens submitted for testing to laboratories reporting to the Public Health Agency of Canada?s Centre for Immunization and Respiratory Infectious Diseases (CIRID). 3 Percent positivity should be interpreted with caution as only four Ontario laboratories submitted results to the CIRID for week 51
...
Table 2. Hospitalizations and deaths among confirmed influenza cases by age group: Ontario, week 52 and cumulative (rates and numbers in brackets) for the 2013-2014 season
<TABLE dir=ltr border=1 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=7 width=647><TBODY><TR><TD height=15 vAlign=top width="20%">Age Group
</TD><TD height=15 vAlign=top width="20%">Number of Hospitalizations
</TD><TD height=15 vAlign=top width="20%">Cumulative Rate per 100,000
</TD><TD height=15 vAlign=top width="20%">Number of Deaths
</TD><TD height=15 vAlign=top width="20%">Cumulative Rate per 100,000
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%"><1
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">4 (29)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">19.85
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0 (0)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.00
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">1 ? 4
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">15 (37)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">6.32
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0 (0)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.00
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">5 ? 14
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">5 (14)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.94
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0 (0)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.00
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">15 ? 24
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">5 (11)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.60
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0 (0)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.00
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">25 ? 44
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">18 (40)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">1.07
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0 (1)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.03
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">45 ? 64
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">20 (74)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">1.95
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0 (4)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.11
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">65+
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">11 (63)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">3.19
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">1 (3)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.15
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">Unknown
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0 (0)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">-
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0 (0)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">-
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">Total
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">78 (268)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">1.98
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">1 (8)
</TD><TD height=7 vAlign=top width="20%">0.06
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
...
Full report:
Previous reports:
Comment