U.S. Flu Season 2015-16: Mild and Delayed

Credit U.S. Center for Disease Control

By at least one measure the 2015-16 influenza season in the U.S. was relatively mild and also delayed in it's peak.

The attached chart is from the CDC outpatient surveillance for influenza like illness. The rate for influenza symptom has be at the baseline level for the last three reporting cycles suggesting the end of the season for this cycle.

Peak rates for this cycle were the lowest in the last six years of data collection.

Congratulations to all who championed influenza vaccination in the United States this year!

An extended surveillance report from the CDC can be access HERE

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2015-16 CDC U.S. Influenza Trends: Bad Year or Not?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control provides valuable data on tracking trends for influenza in the U.S.

The most recent trend using outpatient visit percentages is reproduced here. 

The trend for 2015-16 is below 2% of all outpatient visits through the most recent data.

However, the trends graph shows the typical epidemic period is still approaching. It will be a few more weeks before the 2015-2016 influenza trajectory can be assessed.

I have previously posted two items on the relevance of influenza to neuroscience medicine:

Prenatal influenza as a risk for pre-term birth (pre-term birth contributes to a variety of childhood brain disorders)

Prenatal influenza as a risk for adolescent and adult psychotic disorders

For more information on influenza trends in the U.S. from the CDC go here.

Figure is from CDC. Original is here.

Follow the author on Twitter @WRY999