Introduction

Introduction

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The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is pleased to present the Georgia Weekly Influenza and other Respiratory Diseases Report throughout the respiratory viral disease season. The purpose of the report is to monitor the spread of influenza and other respiratory viruses and measure the impact that infections have on illness, hospitalizations, and deaths.

In Georgia, influenza is not a reportable condition with the exception of influenza-associated deaths and outbreaks. Therefore, this surveillance report is possible through DPH’s partnerships with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia Emerging Infections Program, and a number of voluntary reporting healthcare providers and laboratories.

Ongoing surveillance is essential to monitor changes in circulating influenza viruses, guide treatment decisions, and to understand the impact influenza and other respiratory viral pathogens are having on our community.

Week 35, Ending September 03, 2022

Summary of Select Influenza Surveillance Measures

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*Cumulative data may include updated numbers from previous weeks.

Please refer media requests to . All other requests can be sent to .

Georgia Virologic Surveillance

Georgia Virologic Surveillance

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The National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) and World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating laboratories (a combination of clinical and public health laboratories) report the total number of respiratory specimens tested for influenza and the number of positive for influenza, by virus type. Clinical data is used to monitor increasing or decreasing influenza activity. Public Health Laboratories provide data about influenza virus subtypes and lineages which is used to monitor the proportion of viruses by subtype and lineages.

Clinical Laboratories

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Summary: Clinical Laboratory Positives

Public Health Laboratories

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Summary: Public Health Laboratory Positives

Outpatient Illness Surveillance

Outpatient Illness Surveillance

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The U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet) monitors outpatient healthcare visits due to influenza-like illness (ILI), not laboratory confirmed influenza. ILI is defined as fever (temperature of 100ºF [37.8ºC] or greater) and cough and/or sore throat.

A total of 104 sentinel providers reported data for week 35, 3.6% of patient visits were for ILI. This is above the regional baseline of 3.1%*.

ILINet data should be interpreted with caution as it may include individuals who are seeking care due to other respiratory illness such as SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, healthcare seeking behavior may have changed due to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2.

*The regional baseline is formulated by averaging ILI percentage during weeks of endemic activity determined by laboratory results for influenza. HHS Region 4 (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, and TN) (Baseline: 3.1%).

ILINet Percentages By Season

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Summary: Percent ILI Visits

ILINet Visits By Age Group

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Summary: Number of ILI Visits

Weekly Influenza-like Illness Activity Indicator

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ILI Activity Levels measure ILI activity each week. Activity levels are based on the percent of outpatient visits in Georgia due to ILI compared to the 3-year average of ILI visits during weeks with little or no influenza virus circulation. During week 35, the activity level in Georgia was 6 - Moderate.

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Influenza Outcomes

Influenza-Associated Hospitalizations

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The Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network (FluSurv-Net) reports laboratory confirmed influenza hospitalizations in the eight-county metro Atlanta area (Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Cobb, Douglas, Gwinnett, Rockdale, and Newton) for the 2021-2022 influenza season. Hospitalization reporting for the 2021-2022 influenza season ended on week 23.

A total of 543 laboratory confirmed influenza hospitalizations have been reported for the 2021-2022 season.

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Summary: Influenza Hospitalizations

Influenza-Associated Deaths

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Influenza-associated deaths (in all ages) are reportable by law in the state of Georgia. To be confirmed as a as influenza-associated death, the person must have a clinically compatible illness, a positive influenza test, no documented recovery between the illness and death.

There were 0 influenza-associated deaths confirmed for week 35 in Georgia.

A total of 28 influenza-associated deaths have been confirmed for the 2021-2022 season.

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Summary: Influenza Deaths

Influenza Outbreaks

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Influenza outbreaks are reportable by law in the state of Georgia. A confirmed influenza outbreak is defined as any cluster of illness with at least one associated influenza positive individual.

1 influenza outbreaks were reported for week 35.

A total of 34 laboratory confirmed influenza outbreaks have been reported in Georgia for the 2021-2022 season.

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Other Respiratory Surveillance

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV) Surveillance

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Data from NREVSS are also analyzed to measure the RSV seasonality. Antigen and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are analyzed separately to determine the start and end of RSV season. Season onset is defined as the first week of two consecutive weeks when the percent positive of ALL laboratory confirmed tests are greater than or equal a certain threshold. The end is defined as the first week of two consecutive weeks when the percent positive of ALL laboratory confirmed tests are less than a certain threshold. For antigen-based testing, the threshold is 10% and for PCR the threshold is 3%.

During week 35, clinical laboratories in Georgia reported testing 2269 (4.6% positive) antigen specimens and 1619 (11.1% positive) PCR specimens.

Summary: Number of Tests (% RSV Positive)

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PCR Detections

Antigen Detections

Other Respiratory Disease Surveillance

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Trends in influenza, RSV, and other respiratory viruses are displayed below using NREVSS polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing data.

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Summary: Number of PCR Tests (% Positive)