Welcome to the Northeastern edition of Outbreak Outlook! It is only available to paid subscribers. If you wish to become a paid subscriber and access region-specific information, please click the Subscribe now button below. Thanks for reading! -Caitlin

Respiratory Diseases

ILI

Flu season continues to wind down. Things have really quieted down with influenza in the Northeast. Most states are now well below the national baseline of 2.9% of outpatient visits for ILI that roughly marks the end of flu season.

Northeast Region: ILI Activity

Percent of doctors visits for ILI symptoms

Only New Jersey remains above it, at 3.4%; its numbers declined this week and I expect them to continue to decline over the next few weeks.

Northeast Region: Change in ILI Activity

Percent of doctors visits for ILI symptoms

Emergency department visits for influenza have reached near-zero levels, with all states reporting that <1% of ED visits are for flu. Hospitalizations continue to decline as well, and are hovering between 1 and 2 admissions per 100,000 population across the region. As we enter summer, I expect to see these rates to get at or near zero (that is, <1).

COVID-19

Very quiet week for Covid-19. Wastewater concentrations are minimal in the Northeast. Visits to the emergency room for Covid-19 are extremely low across the Northeast: every state is reporting that <0.4% of ED visits were for Covid.

Northeast Region: New COVID-19 Hospitalizations

Average rate per 100,000 population

Hospitalizations are continuing to decline in the Northeast, and there are now 2 or fewer new admissions per 100,000 population in every state in the region. Rhode Island and Maine both reported slight upticks, but their rates remain <2.

Northeast Region: Change in New COVID-19 Hospitalizations

Weekly new hospitalizations per 100,000

Note: The x axis in the plot above is quite stretched out. Updated visualization for this newsletter is on my roadmap.

Stomach Bugs

Test positivity for norovirus declined slightly this past week, but remains quite elevated. Late spring is when we tend to see a sharp drop-off in stomach bugs, so hopefully any week now I will have better news.

Northeast Region: Norovirus Activity

Test Positivity, Percentage

Food recalls

The following foods are being recalled because they are contaminated. Please check your cupboards and throw out any of these items:

New

• None

Previously reported:

• Basil from Trader Joe’s (more info)
• Trader Joe’s 50% Less Salt Roasted & Salted Whole Cashews (more info)
• If you have food allergies, you may wish to review these FDA safety alerts and USDA alerts for foods with undeclared allergens.

In other news

• In Massachusetts, the Sharon Health Department has reported the first human case of Powassan virus in the town, urging residents to be vigilant against this tick-borne disease. The virus is endemic in the state, but is reported only rarely. Similar to Lyme disease, Powassan is transmitted by infected ticks and can lead to severe illnesses such as meningitis and encephalitis, though many who are exposed do not show symptoms. Symptoms, which appear between one week and one month after a tick bite, include fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, loss of coordination, speech difficulties, and seizures. To prevent infection, residents should use tick repellents, wear protective clothing, stick to trails, and conduct thorough tick checks after spending time in tick-prone areas.