California Reports 32 Pediatric H1N1 Deaths

[JimO]

Source: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/vrdl/Documents/FluUpdate10.28.09.pdf

1. Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Epi- Surveillance Update Highlights:

? Effective August 12, 2009, local health departments began reporting hospitalized pandemic (H1N1) 2009 cases as weekly aggregate numbers. From October 18 ? October 24, 2009, 491 hospitalized/fatal cases were reported; there have been 4,047 hospitalizations and/or fatalities, with 812 cases requiring intensive care, reported to date.
? The statewide incidence rate of reported pandemic (H1N1) 2009 hospitalizations and fatalities is 10.4 per 100,000 population.
? CDPH received 16 reports of fatal pandemic (H1N1) 2009 cases as of October 24, 2009; a total of 249 pandemic (H1N1) 2009 deaths have been reported to CDPH to date.
? A total of 1,404 hospitalized or fatal pandemic (H1N1) 2009 cases in pediatric patients 18 years or younger, including 32 deaths, have been reported to CDPH to date.
? Thirty new cases meeting the case definition for severe pediatric influenza were reported this week, including 3 fatalities. Sixteen of the cases are confirmed/probable pandemic (H1N1) 2009; additional testing is pending for the remaining 14 cases.
? The aggregate numbers of hospitalized or fatal cases reported to CDPH this week included 29 pregnant pandemic (H1N1) 2009 cases; a total of 302 pregnant hospitalized or fatal cases, including 10 deaths (case-fatality ratio 3.3%), have been reported to CDPH to date.
? In recent weeks, almost all influenza A-positive specimens tested by PCR at VRDL and by the Respiratory Laboratory Network have been subsequently confirmed as pandemic (H1N1) 2009, reflecting that the predominant circulating influenza strain in California remains pandemic (H1N1) 2009.
? Three cases of oseltamivir resistance have been identified in California residents with laboratory-confirmed pandemic (H1N1) 2009 infections. One case was tested at VRDL; the others were confirmed by outside laboratories. To date, of 808 specimens tested at VRDL, all but one have tested negative for the H275Y resistance mutation.
? At this time, the data indicate that prevalence of oseltamivir-resistant pandemic (H1N1) 2009 is quite limited. On September 22, 2009, the CDC released updated interim recommendations for the use of antiviral medications in the treatment and prevention of influenza. These recommendations are available at: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/recommendations.htm.

 

[JimO]

Re: California Reports 32 Pediatric H1N1 Deaths

I wanted to add some comments on the number reported above. Although the total reported by the state agrees fairly closely to the cases I've been tracking, I find that most of the counties, where I get the most current data, do not report age data. Also, the state is well behind the county health department numbers. For example, the state reported a total of 249 deaths as of the end of Week 42. We have a total of 308 as of today. So, except for a few media reports giving age information, we don't age information for the 59 deaths not accounted for by the state. Given that pediatric deaths have consistantly represented about 12 to 15% of total deaths, the odds are that there are closer to 40 pediatric deaths in California to date.