Influenza (Flu) Surveillance in Vermont
- Influenza Activity
- Sentinel Providers
- Influenza Reporting
- Testing and Laboratory Reports
- Contacts
- Resources
Influenza Activity Level Status
Reports of laboratory-confirmed influenza around Vermont are now categorized by the CDC as "Local," which is normal for flu activity this time of year.
Local Activity: Outbreaks of influenza, or increases in cases of influenza-like illness and recent laboratory-confirmed influenza, in a single region of the state.
Last change in status: April 17, 2008
Activity Level Information
- No Activity: No laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza and no reported increase in the number of cases of influenza-like illness (ILI). ILI is defined as a fever of > 100 ° F and cough and/or sore throat.
- Sporadic: Small numbers of laboratory-confirmed influenza cases, or a single influenza outbreak has been reported, but there is no increase in cases of ILI .
- Local: Outbreaks of influenza or increases in ILI cases and recent laboratory-confirmed influenza in a single region of the state.
- Widespread: Outbreaks of influenza or increases in ILI cases and recent laboratory-confirmed influenza in at least half the regions of the state.
Activity level is reported weekly by states to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During the flu season, a map of national flu activity levels is available from the CDC at www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/fluactivity.htm.
Vermont has four influenza surveillance regions: Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest.
Activity level is assessed using data from Vermont sentinel providers, syndromic surveillance from several hospitals, and reports of flu outbreaks from schools, nursing homes, other group settings and laboratory reports.
Sentinel Provider Surveillance
Influenza sentinel providers conduct surveillance for influenza-like illness (ILI) in collaboration with Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Data reported by sentinel providers, in combination with other influenza surveillance data, provide a national picture of influenza virus and ILI activity in the United States. Sentinel providers report the total number of patient visits each week and the number of patient visits for influenza-like illness by age group.
Thirteen sentinel providers in eight counties are currently enrolled in the Vermont network. Sentinel providers generally report during the official flu season while several report year-round.
New sentinel providers in any type of practice (family practice and internal medicine, urgent care centers, emergency rooms, college student health centers, pediatric practices) are invited to join the network at any time throughout the year. For more information contact 1-800-640-4374 or 802-863-7240.
Counties with Sentinel Reporters
- Caledonia
- Chittenden
- Franklin
- Essex
- Orleans
- Washington
- Windham
- Windsor
Influenza Reporting
Disease Reporting
Health care providers are required by law to report diseases of public health importance.
Cases of reportable diseases should be reported to the Department of Health within 24 hours.
Persons who are required to report:
- health care facilities
- health care providers
- health maintenance organizations
- hospital administrators
- laboratory directors
- managed care organizations
- nurse practitioners
- nurses
- physician assistants
- physicians
- school health officials
- town health officers.
Reportable by medical providers, hospitals, school health officials:
- Pediatric influenza-related deaths
- Institutional outbreaks
Reportable by laboratories:
- Positive viral cultures
- Weekly aggregate # of positive rapid influenza tests
Influenza Testing and Laboratory Report
The Health Department Laboratory offers influenza testing throughout the year. Due to limited resources and to the limited value a viral culture has in patient management, the Health Department will only provide influenza viral cultures to:
- Sentinel influenza providers.
- Emergency departments enrolled in the Early Aberration Reporting System (EARS).
- Long-term care centers or other institutions experiencing influenza-like illness outbreaks.
- Providers with special circumstances (e.g., has a patient with a serious illness or complication that might be due to influenza or has a patient who is hospitalized with an influenza-like illness)
Sentinel influenza providers as well as EARS-participating emergency departments are being provided influenza viral culture kits at no cost. This is being done to assist in influenza surveillance efforts - specifically, to provide the Laboratory with specimens that can be used to further characterize influenza.
Long-term care centers and other institutions experiencing outbreaks of influenza-like illness or providers with special circumstances will be provided with free influenza viral culture kits. Please arrange testing by calling:
1-802-863-7240 or 1-800-640-4374.
Positive influenza viral cultures are reported by laboratories to the Health Department. Positive rapid flu tests are reported weekly by aggregate numbers from hospital laboratories. Numbers of positive tests may not accurately reflect actual flu activity, since the amount of testing done may vary from practice to practice and from region to region. Also, many people with influenza-like illness do not seek medical care, and not everyone with ILI who sees a medical provider needs to be tested.
For influenza culture supplies and laboratory information, medical providers may call the Health Department Laboratory at 1-800-660-9997 or 802-863-7335.
For information about rapid diagnostic influenza tests visit the CDC website: www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/labdiagnosis.htm .
Vermont Department of Health Contact Numbers
- Epidemiology
800-640-4374 (toll free in Vermont)
802-863-7240
24 hours a day, weekends and holidays
- Laboratory
800-660-9997 (toll free in Vermont)
802-863-7335
- Immunization Program
800-464-4343 (toll free in Vermont)
802-863-7638
- Influenza Surveillance Coordinator
800-640-4374 (toll free in Vermont)
802-863-7240
- Department of Health - General Information
800-464-4343 (toll free in Vermont)
802-863-7200
TTY/TDD: Dial 711 first
Fax: 802-865-7754