Although the duration of the RSV season in Georgia has not been established specifically, it is estimated to begin in October and last approximately 6 months. Our goals for conducting RSV surveillance include determining the onset, duration, peak, and end of the RSV season. We hope this data will be useful to clinicians for decision-making regarding patient prophylaxis and other therapy.

The Georgia Department of Public Health began conducting RSV surveillance in 2000. RSV Surveillance in Georgia incorporates sentinel sites geographically dispersed throughout the state. Laboratories report on a weekly basis the number of tests performed and the number of tests that are positive for RSV.

The three graphs below include data from the 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2003-2004, and 2004-2005 seasons. Click here to see data from the individual seasons. The following graphs track % tests positive for RSV by month, then by week.

The Georgia Department of Public Health recognizes the onset of the RSV season when at least 50 percent of the reporting sites meet or exceed the facility threshold level for two consecutive weeks. The facility threshold level is met when the laboratory reports at least 10 percent tests positive for the reporting week. The following graph is based on the percent of laboratories reporting at least 10 percent tests positive, which is used to determine the onset of the RSV season.