"Influenza is picking up in the U.S., and public health experts are bracing for signs of another brutal season with the virus. Last year one of the worst waves of flu in recent decades took the U.S. by surprise. Japan and the U.K. are currently grappling with an unexpectedly early uptick in severe flu cases. A mutated strain known to cause severe disease may be behind some of the unusual activity."
"These warning signals, combined with interruptions in U.S. surveillance data and declining vaccination rates, have scientists worried. Influenza is no joke, says Shaun Truelove, an infectious-disease epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University. Right now it's time for everybody to get vaccinated. The government shutdown interrupted national flu data reporting last month, leaving scientists in the dark. A spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Scientific American that data were collected during the shutdown."
Influenza activity is increasing across the United States, prompting concern about a potentially severe season. Last year's unusually bad wave and early severe outbreaks in Japan and the U.K. signal heightened risk. A mutated strain associated with more severe disease may be contributing to atypical activity. A government shutdown paused publication of CDC weekly flu reports and respiratory dashboard updates from September 20 to November 8, creating a critical surveillance gap during the start of the season. Officials plan to release the missing data to complete the picture. Vaccination rates have declined, and public health experts urge immediate vaccination. Flu season typically begins in October and peaks December through February, and the CDC reports low but rising activity nationwide.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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