Data on US COVID-19 activity continue to reflect low but increasing levels of illness, with activity increasing in most parts of the country, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest update.

The agency said the epidemic trend for the disease is growing in 16 states and likely growing in 14 others, plus in Washington, DC.

Over the past week, test positivity for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, rose from 10.2% to 11.2%, with levels as high as 17.9% in the south-central part of the country (region 6), followed by levels in the 11.3% to 14.3% range in the West and 11.6% in the Southeast.

ED visits, hospitalizations up a bit

Emergency department (ED) visits for COVID, still infrequent, rose from 1.3% to 1.5%. Levels are highest in the South, Southeast, and West. The CDC said ED visits are increasing for all age-groups and are highest in young children.

Hospitalization rates have steadily increased since July, rising from 1.3 to 1.7 per 100,000 population in the past week. The percentage of deaths from COVID remains low, at 0.5% of all US deaths, with no change from the previous week. 

Nationally, the wastewater viral activity level for COVID-19 is currently moderate.

SARS-CoV-2 detections in wastewater are "very high" in Alabama, Hawaii, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Washington, DC. They are high in 11 states. "Nationally, the wastewater viral activity level for COVID-19 is currently moderate," the CDC said.

In comparison, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) wastewater levels are listed as very low nationwide. ED visits for those two diseases are also listed as very low, but they are increasing for flu.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday announced a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak linked to eggs that are subject to a recall. The outbreak bacterium has sickened at least 95 people in 18 states.

Illness onsets range from January 7 to July 26. So far, 18 people have been hospitalized, with no deaths reported.

State investigations found four subclusters tied to restaurants. Epidemiologic and trace-back data found that large brown cage-free eggs distributed by County Eggs may be the source of the outbreak.

Whole-genome sequencing found that bacteria from 94 people's samples had predicted resistance to nalidixic acid and nonsusceptibility to ciprofloxacin and is similar to an earlier Salmonella Enteritidis strain isolated from chicken meat, eggs, and backyard poultry.

Eggs distributed in California and Nevada

On August 27, California-based Country Eggs recalled the eggs, and the CDC urged consumers and restaurants not to eat or serve the recalled eggs.

The eggs subject to the recall were distributed to grocery stores and food distributors in California and Nevada under three brand names: Nagatoshi Produce, Misuho, and Nijiya Markets.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) today issued another alert urging countries to bolster their surveillance, medical management, and vector-control activities in ongoing battles against chikungunya and Oropouche viruses.

Fourteen countries in the Americas have reported more than 212,000 cases this year, a decline from last year. Cases have been concentrated in South America, especially Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay, as well as parts of the Caribbean. 

The agency said the outbreaks are linked to a shift in the circulating genotypes. Since 2014, cases in the Americas region have mainly involved the Asian genotype, but this year the most affected countries are also seeing circulation from the East/Central/South African (ECSA) genotype. 

Presence of the ECSA genotype in at least four countries is concerning, because cocirculation enhances the risk of adaptation. "Understanding chikungunya's genetic lineages is essential to predict transmission dynamics and tailor public health responses," PAHO said.

Also, it warned that cases linked to ongoing outbreaks in the Indian Ocean, Europe, and Asia also raise the risk of reintroduction and further spread into new areas with conditions conducive to transmission.

Extra vigilance for Oropouche illness

For Oropouche virus, mainly spread by biting midges, about 12,700 cases have been reported in 11 Americas countries in the first 7 months of the year, with local cases reported in Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. Continuing a trend that began in 2024, the virus continues to spread to previously unaffected areas.

PAHO urged countries to focus on early case detection and to include Oropouche infection in the differential diagnosis for suspected dengue infections and be alert for possible neurologic complications. It added that community engagement is crucial for reducing populations of insects that spread the two diseases.