639. Influenza Surveillance in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): 2015-2016 Season
Session: Poster Abstract Session: Oh, Those Pesky Viruses!
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Room: Poster Hall
Posters
  • Cynthia ID week 2016 final layout.pdf (5.2 MB)

    • Background: VA conducts ongoing surveillance for seasonal influenza, which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, putting VA’s large elderly population at risk. Herein we report 2015-16 VA national influenza activity and vaccination data.

     

    Methods: Influenza-like illness (ILI); hospitalizations; outpatient visits; telephone triage (TT); antivirals; and influenza testing were obtained from VA data sources (10/4/15-4/30/16) and compared to 3 prior seasons. Vaccinations were captured from 8/1/2015. We calculated Spearman correlation coefficients for ILI visits, hospitalizations, and influenza testing with national CDC FluView data. 

     

    Results:  Surveillance metrics are reported in Table 1 and Figs. 1 and 2. ILI visits ranged from 1.1-2.8% this season.  Flu activity peaked later (Week 10) and fewer vaccinations were recorded. CA (556), FL (536), TX (411) and IL (300) had the highest number of lab-confirmed cases. Correlation between VA and CDC %ILI visits (.81), hospitalizations (.92), tests performed (.97), and positive tests (.99) was strong (p<.0001).

     

    Conclusion: The 2015-16 season was mild compared to 2014-15, with fewer admissions, TT calls, influenza tests and antivirals. This and a late peak may have contributed to fewer vaccinations. Percentage of hospitalizations with an ICU stay or death was stable across seasons. VA influenza data continues to align well with CDC data.

    Table 1

     

     

    2012-13

    N (%)

    2013-14

    N (%)

    2014-15

    N (%)

    2015-16

    N (%)

    Influenza Vaccinations

    1890006

    1940361

    1799580

    1749915

    Influenza-coded Hospitalizations

    Unique Patients

    ICU Admit

    Death

    Positive Influenza Test

    2524

    2405

    3704

    1819

    2490

    2366

    3637

    1795

    391 (16)

    491 (20)

    620 (17)

    296 (16)

    71 (3)

    74 (3)

    117 (3)

    58 (3)

    1492 (60)

    1654 (70)

    2869 (77)

    1378 (76)

    Influenza-coded TT Calls

    9503

    8423

    10234

    5970

    Influenza Tests

    Total Positive

    A

    B

    Both A & B or Not Specified

    30205

    42623

    66113

    49367

    5208 (20)

    6095 (14)

    11459 (17)

    5735 (12)

    4642 (79)

    4985 (82)

    9029 (79)

    4102 (72)

    1147 (19)

    1060 (17)

    2340 (20)

    1570 (27)

    119 (2)

    50 (1)

    90 (1)

    63 (1)

    Antiviral Prescriptions

    Inpatient

    Outpatient

    21117

    16758

    32400

    15496

    6207

    4335

    7490

    3605

    14910

    12418

    24910

    11891

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Figure 1

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Figure 2

     

    Cynthia Lucero-Obusan, MD1, Patricia Schirmer, MD1, Aaron Wendelboe, Ph.D.1,2 and Mark Holodniy, MD, FIDSA, FSHEA1,3, (1)Public Health Surveillance and Research, Department of Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto, CA, (2)Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, (3)Stanford University, Stanford, CA

    Disclosures:

    C. Lucero-Obusan, None

    P. Schirmer, None

    A. Wendelboe, None

    M. Holodniy, None

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