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U.S. flu activity down -- no states report high flu activity

No states report high influenza-like illness, down from six states. UPI/Roger L. Wollenberg
No states report high influenza-like illness, down from six states. UPI/Roger L. Wollenberg | License Photo

ATLANTA, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- For the week ending Feb. 15, U.S. influenza activity dropped and no states reported high influenza-like illness, down from six states last week, officials say.

The CDC analyzed 1,056 influenza viruses and found 99.9 percent of 920 2009 H1N1 viruses tested were characterized as A/California/7/2009-like, the influenza A (H1N1) component of the 2013-2014 Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccine.

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All 86 influenza A (H3N2) viruses tested were characterized as A/Texas/50/2012-like, the influenza A (H3N2) component of the 2013/2014 Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccine.

Sixty-two percent of the 50 influenza B viruses tested belong to B/Yamagata/16/88-lineage and the remaining 38 percent of influenza B viruses tested belonged to B/Victoria/02/87 lineage.

Thirty-nine influenza B/Yamagata-lineage viruses were characterized as B/Massachusetts/2/2012-like, which is included as an influenza B component of the 2013/2014 Northern Hemisphere trivalent and quadrivalent influenza vaccines.

Nineteen influenza B/Victoria-lineage viruses were characterized as B/Brisbane/60/2008-like, which is included as an influenza B component of the 2013/2014 Northern Hemisphere quadrivalent influenza vaccine -- available for the first time this year.

Two influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported to CDC.

Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, New Mexico, Texas and Virginia reported moderate influenza-like illness.

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New York City, Alaska, Connecticut, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Washington experienced low influenza-like illness.

Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming experienced 27 states experienced minimal influenza-like illness.

The geographic spread of influenza in 17 states was reported as widespread -- influenza detected in more than half of the counties. Twenty-two states reported regional influenza activity; nine states reported local influenza activity; and two states reported sporadic influenza activity.

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