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Revere sees 528 influenza cases in month; health director reiterates H5N1 guidance, notes national provisional drop in overdoses
Summary
Revere's public health director reported 528 influenza cases in the last month, relayed Massachusetts Department of Public Health guidance on H5N1 surveillance, and cited CDC provisional data showing a national decline in overdose deaths for the year ending Sept. 2024.
Lauren Buck, director of public health for the City of Revere, told the Board of Health during the board's February meeting that the city recorded 528 influenza cases in the previous month.
"We had 528 over the last month, which is a significant amount," Buck said, and she urged residents to get vaccinated, stay home when sick and seek medical care as needed.
Buck also reported that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has issued guidance prioritizing surveillance for H5N1, the avian influenza strain that has appeared in news reports. She said that H5N1 human cases have been rare in the U.S., primarily linked to direct contact with infected commercial poultry or dairy cattle, and that no human H5N1 cases have been identified in Massachusetts.
On national mortality trends, Buck summarized provisional data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Vital Statistics System showing an estimated nearly 24% decline in drug overdose deaths in the 12 months ending Sept. 2024 compared with the prior year. She noted that local overdose data for Revere and Massachusetts for 2024 were not yet available and are typically released in the spring.
No formal board action was taken on the reports; the items were presented for information and discussion.
