Division of Disease Control and Health Protection

"The reason for collecting, analyzing and disseminating information on a disease is to control that disease. Collection and analysis should not be allowed to consume resources if action does not follow."

--Foege WH et al. Int. J of Epidemiology 1976; 5:29-37.

The Bureau of Epidemiology is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for consultation at our main number 850/245-4401. PLEASE NOTE: Consultation after 5 p.m. & on weekends is intended for emergencies.

Information provided by Roberta Hammond, PhD, Florida DOH Food and Waterborne Diseases Coordinator

Dr. Lisa Conti, State Public Health Veterinarian

From time to time, county health department officials have encountered an animal bite to a person by a wild cat hybrid. Offspring of wild felids to domestic cats are considered hybrids. As with canine hybrids, we have no challenge studies to show that rabies vaccines are effective in these animals. The safest approach is to manage them as we do canine hybrids, i.e., consider them wild animals until more data are available. Rabies vaccination of such animals is considered off-label use. Veterinarians who administer vaccines off-label should document informing the owner that the vaccine is not approved for that species and that public health officials may not recognize the animals as vaccinated.

(Week ending December 2, 2000-Week 48)

Dr. Carina Blackmore, Regional Epidemiologist, Northeast Florida

National report: During week 48 (November 26-December 2, 2000), 31 of the 743 specimens tested by the WHO and National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) laboratories were positive for influenza type A virus and 5 were positive for type B virus. Twenty-four (77%) of the influenza A isolates were typed. All of them were influenza A (H1N1). Since October 1, 160 (2%) influenza isolates (103 influenza A (H1N1), 7 influenza A (H3N2) and 27 influenza B) have been recovered from 10,104 specimens tested. Influenza A(H3N2) have been identified in Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky and Missouri; influenza A (H1N1) in California, Colorado, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin and influenza B isolates have been identified in Alaska, California, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina and Texas.

CDC has antigenically characterized 5 influenza viruses (1 influenza A (H3N2); 2 influenza A (H1N1) and 2 influenza B) received from US laboratories since October 1. They are all similar to respective vaccine strains.

The percentage of all deaths due to Pneumonia and Influenza (P&I) as reported by the vital statistics offices of 122 U.S. cities was 7.2% during week 48. This percentage is below the epidemic threshold of 8.0% for this time of year.

Influenza activity was assessed by state and territorial health departments as regional in 2 states (Kentucky and Texas) and sporadic in 24 additional states (Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, and Wisconsin). No influenza activity was reported from 23 states. One state did not report.

During week 48, 2% of patient visits to U.S. sentinel physicians were due to influenza-like illness (ILI). The percentage of ILI was within baseline levels of 0% to 3% in 8 of 9 surveillance regions. One region (East South Central: Alabama; Kentucky; Mississippi and Tennessee) reported 4% of patient visits to sentinel physicians were due to ILI.

Florida: Data from Florida suggest low levels of influenza activity. Overall, one percent of 15,720 patients seeking care by reporting physicians in the influenza sentinel surveillance network met the case definition for ILI during week 48. Influenza-like illness activity was detected in 14 counties from Leon to Miami Dade. Higher ILI activity than expected for this time of year (>3%) was reported by physicians in Orange county. Six patients were culture positive for influenza this week. Influenza A (H1N1) was isolated in Duval and Leon counties and influenza B in Broward, Leon and Volusia counties. Since October 1, 30 influenza isolations have been reported to the state health office: 15 influenza A (H1N1) isolates from Broward, Charlotte, Duval, Lake, Leon, Orange and Polk counties, one influenza A (H3N2) from Duval county, 7 untyped influenza A isolates from Alachua, Columbia, Hillsborough, Orange, Palm Beach and Pinellas counties) and 7 influenza B isolates from Brevard, Broward, Hillsborough, Leon and Volusia counties.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity remains high in northeastern, central and the southwestern part of the state where 43-57% of tested specimens were positive for RSV. Twenty-four percent of RSV specimens tested in the southeast were positive. Twelve hospital laboratories in the state participate in this program.