Flu tests: H1N1 may have peaked in Oct.

MADISON, N.J., Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Data from a laboratory testing company suggests the H1N1 flu may have peaked in October in the United States, company officials said.

A report by Quest Diagnostics Inc., a leading provider of diagnostic testing services, released Friday said the rates of infection by the H1N1 influenza virus may have peaked in late October, but the pandemic flu virus continues to be a potential source of illness in all age groups, including the elderly.

Officials at Quest Diagnostics analyzed results of more than 142,000 de-identified patient specimens tested for the H1N1 influenza virus between May 11 and Nov. 10 in the United States. Other report findings include:

-- In the weeks following Oct. 27, H1N1 test demand declined after several weeks of strong growth.

-- About 99 percent of positive influenza A specimens tested were positive for H1N1 influenza.

-- The number of specimens that tested positive for H1N1 influenza dropped in all age groups since late October, with the exception of those age 65 and older. In this age group, rates of positivity have tripled since late August, and are now at about 14 percent.

-- Rates of positive test results for the pandemic have declined in recent weeks in most regions, with the exception of the Northeast, where rates have more than doubled during the two weeks ending Nov. 10.