Thread by @HelenBranswell

1. Being as it's Friday, there will be a #flu update from @CDCgov later this morning. I'll add to this when it comes out.
Just looking at the weekly Covid & #influenza report from @PHE_uk. In a normal flu season, one might see a little flu activity in early Sept. Nope.

2. @CDCgov's FluView is up. Actual confirmed cases of #flu remain very low. There is, however, a fair amount of influenza-like illness, or ILI, activity. The report suggests it may have plateaued among 0-4 & 5-24 yr olds. Will be interesting to watch this, now that school is in.

3. @CDCgov reports another 2 cases of infection with swine #flu viruses have been detected, both in Iowa. Neither was sick enough to need hospital care; both recovered. Both had traceable links to pigs.

4. These new swine #flu cases bring to 9 the number detected in the US so far this year. Nothing strange about this number. 3 different swine flu strains involved; cases seen across 4 states.

5. @CDCgov has to report all human swine flu cases to @WHO. The world keeps an eye out for human infections with non-human flu viruses because of their pandemic potential. The 2009 H1N1 pandemic was caused by a virus that jumped from pigs to people.

6. @CDCgov says none of the 9 cases detected so far this yr involved human-2-human transmission (a good thing). But the link to swine for at least some of the cases seems to leave that possibility open. One of this week's cases, for instance, lived with people who cared for pigs.

7. It's impossible to know at this point when #flu activity will resume here. There is definitely some flu transmission in some parts of the world, but it remains at historically low levels. This week's FluView shows no signs of it picking up here yet. cdc.gov/flu/weekly/ind…