H1N1 Swine Flu Levels Approach 100% In Texas and US

Monday, December 23, 2013
By Paul Martin

Recombinomics.com
December 23, 2013

Out of 10,472 laboratory-tested specimens in Texas during the 2013-14 flu season, 1,495 tested positive for influenza, with 417 testing positive for H1N1, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Influenza Surveillance Information.

“According to our infectious disease specialists here at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, we’ve seen about 20 cases of influenza so far this month, some of which have been H1N1,” said Kathryn Klein, manager of external communications.

The above comments suggest that H1N1 levels in Texas are somewhere between one third and half of flu cases, when in fact the levels in Texas and the United States are approaching 100%. The above impression is due to the widespread use of rapid tests, which significantly under-represents H1N1 cases. On Friday Texas issued an influenza alert, warning physicians not to rely on rapid tests or delay treatment while waiting for retest data. This warning was based in part by reports of a “mystery illness”. Conroe Regional Medical Center noted that 8 patients (including 4 who had died), who had textbook H1N1 (swine flu) symptoms, tested negative on a rapid test, while a PCR re-test on 3 or 4 of the survivors identified H1N1 in 1 or 2 of these cases (2 confirmed H1N1 cases were reported, but it is unclear if the second positive was from the 4 surviving cases re-tested).

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