Division of Disease Control and Health Protection

Estimates are that between 15% and 40% of the population will develop illness from influenza every year. An average of about 36,000 people per year in the United States die from influenza, and 114,000 per year have to be admitted to the hospital as a result of influenza infection. Anyone can get the flu (even healthy people), and serious problems from influenza can happen at any age. People age 65 years and older, people of any age with chronic medical conditions, and very young children are more likely to get complications from influenza.

For the most current information about influenza in Florida, please see Florida's weekly surveillance report, the Flu Review, included below under Influenza Surveillance.

• Emergency department and urgent care center influenza-like illness (ILI) visits have decreased overall in recent weeks. In emergency departments and urgent care centers reporting to ESSENCE-FL, the statewide percent of emergency department visits for ILI is at typical levels for this time of year in all regions of Florida.

• Nationally (including Florida), the most common subtypes of influenza detected this season been influenza A H3, followed by influenza B.

  • In week 22, one of eight specimens submitted for influenza testing at BPHL tested PCR positive for 2009 influenza A H1N1.Influenza B, influenza A H3 and 2009 influenza A H1N1 have all been detected since October 2012. All of these are seasonal strains of influenza.

  • Nationally (including Florida), almost all circulating influenza is a good match for the vaccine.

   

• No influenza or ILI outbreaks (epidemiologically linked cases of influenza in a single setting) were reported in week 22. In week 21, one outbreak in a Miami-Dade healthcare facility was reported.
   

• One pediatric influenza-associated death was reported in an unvaccinated Miami-Dade County resident with underlying health conditions in week 21.

  • Eight pediatric influenza-associated deaths have been reported since October 2012.

   

• The preliminary estimated number of Florida to pneumonia or influenza in week 21 is lower than the seasonal baseline, based on previous years’ data. Estimated deaths due to pneumonia and influenza are identified using preliminary death certificate data.

  • Nationwide data from CDC show pneumonia and influenza deaths for week 21 within expected levels.