Beginning October 1, 2004, CDC added influenza-associated pediatric mortality (i.e., among persons aged <18 years) to the list of conditions voluntarily reportable to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) (1). This action is based on recommendations developed collaboratively by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) and CDC and approved at the 2004 CSTE annual meeting (2). The goals of surveillance and recommended methods for surveillance are described in the 2004 CSTE position statement for influenza-associated pediatric mortality (2). The CSTE-recommended public health surveillance case definition for this condition has been added to the NNDSS case definitions website (3).

States may begin reporting data for this condition in week 40 (week ending October 9, 2004). The results will be published in the MMWR Table I beginning the week ending October 16, 2004. Each week, MMWR Table I presents updated cumulative year-to-date incidence for low-incidence nationally notifiable diseases (4).

References

1. CDC. Revised table of nationally notifiable infectious diseases, 2004. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2004. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/epo/dphsi/phs/infdis2004r.htm.
   
   
2. Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. Position statement 04-ID-04: influenza-associated pediatric mortality; 2004. Atlanta, GA: Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists; 2004. Available at http://www.cste.org/ps/2004pdf/04-ID-04-final.pdf.
   
   
3. CDC. Surveillance case definition for year 2004: influenza-associated pediatric mortality. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2004. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/epo/dphsi/casedef/Influenza-Associated_current.htm.
   
   
4. CDC. Table I: Summary of provisional cases of selected notifiable diseases, United States, cumulative, week ending September 25, 2004 (38th Week). Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2004. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5338md.htm#tab1.