PEWSS Reports
February/January
Previous months reports are available in the PEWSS Report Archive.
Program Profile
The Pediatric Early Warning Sentinel Surveillance (PEWSS) program was initiated in June 2010. This innovative respiratory surveillance program monitors the level of respiratory virus activity within the community year round.
The PEWSS program provides laboratory surveillance data of four influenza viruses (Influenza AH1, Influenza 2009 A (H1N1), Influenza AH3, and Influenza B), and six non-influenza viruses (Adenovirus, Human metapneumovirus, Human parainfluenza virus 1, Human parainfluenza 2, Human parainfluenza virus 3, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus).
The PEWSS program is an extension of the Enhanced Pediatric Influenza Surveillance and replaces the monitoring of influenza-like illness, a type of influenza surveillance conducted previously.
Five pediatric clinics are participating as program sentinel sites for collection of samples from children who present with a fever >100°F accompanied by a cough and/or sore throat. Samples are tested by the Southern Nevada Public Health Laboratory and the results are compiled, analyzed and reported back to the community in weekly PEWSS reports.
Since sample collection and testing will be performed continuously, the reports provide weekly snapshots of the respiratory viruses circulating in the community throughout the year. Knowledge of the viral activity in the community may aid clinicians in assessing the treatment options for their patients. This surveillance program also allows for detection of novel influenza virus strains and early recognition of seasonal emergence of respiratory pathogens.
PEWSS reports are published weekly and will include a summary of the respiratory virus trends observed in the community. For questions about the PEWSS program, contact the Office of Epidemiology at (702) 759-1300.
Visit the Influenza Surveillance Archive for previous influenza reports.
