MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Sep 2011
Clusters of acute respiratory illness associated with human enterovirus 68--Asia, Europe, and United States, 2008-2010.
In the past 2 years, CDC has learned of several clusters of respiratory illness associated with human enterovirus 68 (HEV68), including severe disease. HEV68 is a unique enterovirus that shares epidemiologic and biologic features with human rhinoviruses (HRV). First isolated in California in 1962 from four children with bronchiolitis and pneumonia, HEV68 has been reported rarely since that time and the full spectrum of illness that it can cause is unknown. ⋯ In each cluster, HEV68 was diagnosed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing targeting the 5'-nontranslated region, followed by partial sequencing of the structural protein genes, VP4-VP2, VP1, or both, to give definitive, enterovirus type-specific information. This report highlights HEV68 as an increasingly recognized cause of respiratory illness. Clinicians should be aware of HEV68 as one of many causes of viral respiratory disease and should report clusters of unexplained respiratory illness to the appropriate public health agency.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Sep 2011
Severe illness from 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1)--Utah, 2009-10 influenza season.
Influenza-associated hospitalizations have been a reportable condition in Utah since 2005, and surveillance for influenza hospitalizations has been a valuable tool for identifying and tracking the population impact of serious influenza illness. During the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, Utah public health officials used comparisons with hospitalization data from three previous influenza seasons to rapidly assess the impact of 2009 H1N1 and enable public health authorities to target persons at greatest risk for severe illness. ⋯ During the 4-month "spring wave" of the H1N1 pandemic, a greater percentage of hospitalizations (30.9%) resulted in severe illness than during the 9-month "fall wave" (23.0%). Surveillance for influenza hospitalizations can provide essential data to public health authorities that will help them identify those populations at greatest risk for severe illness.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Sep 2011
Progress in implementing measles mortality reduction strategies--India, 2010-2011.
In 2005, an estimated 92,000 deaths occurred in India from measles among children aged <5 years. Estimates from 2008 indicate that 77% of global measles mortality was attributable to measles deaths in the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region, the majority of which occurred in India. These figures highlight the importance of India in attaining regional and global measles mortality reduction targets. ⋯ This report provides an update on MCV1 coverage, progress in implementing MCV2, and measles outbreak surveillance activities conducted in eight states during 2006-2010. India has initiated implementation of a measles mortality reduction strategy, but the pace of implementation is variable across states. Strong national and state leadership and commitment to rapid reduction of measles mortality are essential to achieve the full benefits of this strategy.