RSV in California. Prior data revised.

RSV activity is present in the Sacramento/Sierra region. 

We have received additional data from contributing Sutter labs and this week we're revising the chart posted. 

Meanwhile, the RSV activity has increased in California as a whole, with about 20% of specimens submitted now positive.

Few specimens submitted, no positives

Of four specimens submitted to our reporting labs none was positive for RSV during the week ending on December 8, 2007. However, the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) has seen an increase in RSV in California, with the positives reaching 10%.

RSV activity increasing

We saw an increase in RSV activity during the week following the Thanksgiving holiday. There were two cases at Sutter Memorial Hospital and one at Sutter Roseville, with a denominator of seven samples submitted. There has been a weather change in the interim and we have major holidays still to come. We'll continue to keep you posted.

RSV activity low still

Seven specimens were submitted for RSV testing during the week ending on November 24, none positive. Back next week with an update.

Small amount of RSV activity

We are seeing a small amount of RSV activity, mainly from the Sutter Davis area. There was one positive this week and the denominator increased with a total of 12 samples submitted for the region, giving us an eight percent positive, still below the traditional epidemic level of 10% of positives. The RSV season may appear to be slow to start but it is still very well within the expected time frame of onset, usually before January. Have a nice Thanksgiving!!

Well into the Fall and little RSV activity to date

We have consistent reporting from the sites listed on the side and there have been no new RSV positive samples submitted. The overall number of tests performed is low, likely due to low amount viral activity in the region. We will continue to post.

RSV seems to be taking it's time

We have seen very little activity of RSV thus far this season, aside for one positive result of 3 submitted on the week of October 6, and 45 total submitted tests for the entire period documented. This suggests that we may be in for a later onset/later peak of RSV and we'll have to keep watch a later end of the season. We're trying out this graph format this week, hope it is esily legible.

More sources of data, no RSV yet

We are now receiving data from Auburn Faith Hospital, Sutter Davis Hospital and Sutter Roseville Medical Center, bringing the total number of samples obtained for the week ending on October 13 to eighteen, none positive for RSV. During the week of ending October 20, three samples were submitted from Sutter Memorial Hospital, none positive for RSV. The remaining contributing centers will be sending their data during the course of this week and we will post retrospectively early next. We thank Lise Bashe, CLS, MT(ASCP), Ambulatory Microbiology Laboratory Supervisor, Sutter Medical Foundation for her ongoing supply of data.

Second week in October, No RSV activity yet

We're beginning to see an increase in clinical disease resembling RSV infection and consequent performance of rapid RSV testing with eleven samples submitted last week, no positives detected yet. As RSV is unlikely to skip a year, we're continuing our efforts toward prevention of exposure and specific prophylaxis for those infants and children at high risk for severe lower respiratory tract infection by RSV.

No RSV detected yet in the few samples sent

Well, the data for the week ending on October 6 is in and thus far no RSV activity detected in the small number of specimens sent (one last week, twelve total). We speculate that the small number of samples correspond with clinicians seeing only a small number of patients with respiratory disease consistent with RSV. That means we still have time to educate parents on basic preventive measures against RSV and to consider or start prophylaxis with Synagis® for those infants who have risk factors for severe lower respiratory tract by RSV. We'll keep posting.

Baseline RSV Data

Welcome to the respiratory viral season ! We are gearing up to start posting information on RSV isolates and anticipate some activity to start in the next month or so.

As a trial and in order to have a baseline for RSV activity in the region we decided to post RSV information for the weeks of September 15 and 22, 2007.
Data originated at Sutter Memorial, Sutter General Hospitals and outpatient sampling in Sacramento. In the future, we hope to be able to include data from Auburn Faith, Sutter Davis and Sutter Roseville Hospitals.

We give credit and many thanks to Lise Bashe, CLS, MT(ASCP), Ambulatory Microbiology Laboratory Supervisor, Sutter Medical Foundation for providing viral surveillance data. Thanks Lise!!

Welcome to our blog!!

We will be posting information on RSV and influenza starting in October 2007. The source of this data will initially be the Sutter Foundation K St. lab. Stay tuned!