As families start to prepare for upcoming Thanksgiving Day travel plans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report influenza numbers are starting to increase.
Generally influenza levels rise after the Thanksgiving and winter holiday season in part because travelers share holidays in close quarters with one another and bring the virus back home from other locations.
Out of the 54 health jurisdictions (including the U.S., Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) set up by the CDC only two have widespread cases of influenza.
The majority of the active cases have been documented as originating in the Deep South region of the mainland U.S. Some states have reported no flu activity at all yet this season.
There have been 2 flu-related pediatric deaths as of the first full week of November. Cases of influenza generally peak in the colder months and subside by April.
Inexpensive flu vaccines, as well as ongoing education about influenza and the important role of vaccines in mitigating a potential flu epidemic have played a positive role in decreasing deaths from the flu in recent years.
In addition to vaccination, early detection of flu depends on the expertise of trained medical personnel who screen patients in clinics and hospitals. Diagnosing the flu in its early stages can mean the difference between life and death for particularly vulnerable populations such as infants and the elderly.
For RN’s and other health professionals, monitoring the geographic spread of influenza can help bring awareness to patients about what actions they can take to prevent contracting the flu if it happens to begin to spread within their jurisdiction.
The CDC has set up a special flu monitoring website for the 2013-2014 season which can be accessed by visiting: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly. As the flu season unfolds, health professionals in a variety of roles will need to remain informed about the spread of illness.
The CDC encourages health professionals to report all cases promptly so that CDC monitoring of this year’s flu cases remains accurate and accessible to health professionals throughout the U.S. and its related territories.
