Upstate New York flu visits to hospitals soar last week

November 8, 11:49 PMRochester Infectious Disease ExaminerCharles Simmins

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The week ending October 31, 2009 saw another large increase in visits to hospital emergency departments for influenza like illnesses throughout upstate New York. While such visits in the Hudson Valley and on Long Island increased slightly to about 8% of total visits, other regions were not so fortunate.

New York State is tracking the Swine Flu pandemic by counting visits to hospital emergency departments for influenza like illnesses (ILI). Just as with the data from the Centers for Disease Control, the New York data runs at least a week behind the calendar date.

New York City is operating its data reporting and analysis separately from the state. At this time, their data suggests a low level of ILI in the five boroughs.

Western New York, including Buffalo, Rochester, Corning and Elmira, saw ILI visits increase to 19.6%. The last two weeks represent the highest levels of ILI visits to hospitals in this region in 2009.

The Central New York region includes the military facilities at Fort Drum, and the cities of Syracuse and Binghamton. The ILI rate for this week of 18.5% is the highest for 2009 and more than double the high from the Spring wave of Swine Flu.

The Capital region of New York State runs from the Canadian border to the Catskills. It includes Plattsburgh, Glens Falls, Saratoga Springs, Albany and Schenectady. Its rate for ILI visits to emergency departments nearly doubled in a week, going from 12.6% to 22.1%. This region currently is experiencing the highest rate in the state, three times higher than the peak of Spring 2009.

Statewide, 99% of all specimens typed were for the A type virus. All 82 specimens sub-typed at the NYS laboratory were found to be Swine Flu, pandemic H1N1.

58% of the 313 patients hospitalized for flu and flu complications in the week were under age 18. The number of ILI related admissions doubled from the preceding week.

There were two adult deaths and two children's deaths related to H1N1 reported in the week of October 31. The total related deaths from September 1, 2009, is 12. The total since April 24, 2009, is 43. 15 flu related deaths were aged 24 or younger. 38 of the deaths were in patients under age 65.