Respiratory Illness Update
Respiratory Illness Update
The Public Health Department conducts enhanced surveillance year-round for influenza-like illness at sentinel clinic sites and for severe acute respiratory infections at both hospitals to monitor respiratory illness trends in the community. In addition, syndromic surveillance data from both hospitals’ emergency departments is routinely monitored for respiratory illnesses and other unusual disease reports.
The surveillance systems help keep track of respiratory illness trends in the community, as well as provide early detection for novel strains of influenza and other unusual respiratory infections. In 2009, the local influenza-like illness surveillance system identified one of the first cases of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) in the country.
Respiratory Illness Updates are published throughout the year to provide information on disease trends.