EuroFlu - Weekly Electronic Bulletin Week 3 : 18/01/2010-24/01/2010 - 29 January 2010, Issue N? 342 (edited)
EuroFlu - Weekly Electronic Bulletin Week 3 : 18/01/2010-24/01/2010 - 29 January 2010, Issue N? 342
Pandemic flu activity has declined to low levels in most of Europe
Current situation: week 03/2010
Clinical respiratory disease activity has declined over the past three weeks in eight countries. Clinical consultation rates remain well below observed pandemic peaks in all countries and, in many cases, below typical seasonal influenza levels for this time of year.
17 countries tested at least 20 sentinel specimens; 7 still report 20% or more testing positive for influenza: Albania (43%), Bulgaria (26%), the Czech Republic (30%), Georgia (20%), Greece (40%), Luxembourg (32%) and Romania (26%).
27 countries reported that pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus was the dominant virus in circulation; 7 also reported detections of influenza type B, and 6 (Armenia, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Israel and the Republic of Moldova) reported widespread activity of the influenza virus, with low or medium influenza intensity.
Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova and Romania reported the impact of influenza on health care services to be moderate, while 25 countries reported low impact on services.
Reports of respiratory hospitalizations and deaths to WHO/Europe influenza surveillance (EuroFlu.org) continue to decrease. Weekly reports of hospitalized severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases have declined in Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova, Slovakia and Ukraine following peaks in weeks 47?52/2009.
Reports of SARI hospitalizations in Uzbekistan have also decreased slightly from a reported peak in week 1/2010.
Deaths due to ARI in the Russian Federation have continued to decline since an observed peak in week 48/2009.
During the period 18-24 January 2010, there were 176 deaths associated with laboratory-confirmed pandemic (H1N1) 2009, raising the total to 3606.
Virological update: week 03/2010
Sentinel physicians collected 1165 respiratory specimens, of which 165 (14%) were positive for influenza virus. A total of 158 were type A (148 were subtyped as pandemic A(H1), 10 were not subtyped) and 7 were influenza B. Of the 17 countries testing 20 or more sentinel specimens this week, influenza-positivity rates ranged from 0% in Poland to 43% in Albania (median 16.7%, mean 18.3%).
A total of 1223 specimens from non-sentinel sources were influenza positive: 1173 type A (916 pandemic A(H1), 26 seasonal A(H1), 10 A(H3), 221 not subtyped) and 50 influenza B.
From week 40/2009 to week 03/2010, a total of 153 014 influenza virus detections were reported: 152 583 were influenza A (99.7%) and 431(0.3%) were influenza B.
Of the influenza A viruses, 139 605 (91.5%) were subtyped, with 138 217 being pandemic A(H1), 901 A(H1) and 485 A(H3).
Based on the antigenic characterization of 1166 influenza viruses reported from week 40/2009 to week 03/2010, 1162 were A(H1) pandemic A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like; 2 were A(H3) A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like; 1 was A(H3) A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like, and 1 was B/Brisbane/60/2008-like.
Genetic characterizations were available for 530 isolates; 524 belonged to the A/California/7/2009 A(H1N1) pandemic group; 1 belonged to the A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2) group; 4 to the A/Victoria/208/2009 (H3N2) group and 1 to the B/England/393/2008 (Victoria lineage) group.
Comment
The percentage of sentinel specimens testing positive for influenza ? as well as the clinical consultation rates for influenza-like illness (ILI) and acute respiratory infections (ARI) ? continue to decline in the European Region. Pandemic influenza activity is at low levels for the time being in most of the Region. This decline in influenza circulation has occurred earlier in the 2009/2010 winter season than in recent years. Continued surveillance is especially important to detect any resurgence in activity due to seasonal or pandemic influenza.
Further information
The EuroFlu bulletin describes and comments on influenza activity in the 53 countries in the WHO European Region. Further information can be obtained from the WHO/Europe and WHO headquarters web sites.
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<cite cite="http://www.euroflu.org/cgi-files/bulletin_v2.cgi">EuroFlu - Bulletin Review</cite>
Pandemic flu activity has declined to low levels in most of Europe
- This report is based on data received from 46 of the 53 Member States in the WHO European Region.
- 14% of specimens collected from sentinel sources tested positive for influenza virus.
- The incidence of clinical respiratory illness has decreased over the past three weeks in 8 reporting countries, and most countries reported a low intensity of influenza activity.
- Pandemic influenza A(H1N1) 2009 accounted for 95% of influenza virus detections in sentinel specimens, and influenza B, 5%.
- 3606 deaths associated with laboratory-confirmed pandemic (H1N1) 2009 have been reported in the Region.
Current situation: week 03/2010
Clinical respiratory disease activity has declined over the past three weeks in eight countries. Clinical consultation rates remain well below observed pandemic peaks in all countries and, in many cases, below typical seasonal influenza levels for this time of year.
17 countries tested at least 20 sentinel specimens; 7 still report 20% or more testing positive for influenza: Albania (43%), Bulgaria (26%), the Czech Republic (30%), Georgia (20%), Greece (40%), Luxembourg (32%) and Romania (26%).
27 countries reported that pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus was the dominant virus in circulation; 7 also reported detections of influenza type B, and 6 (Armenia, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Israel and the Republic of Moldova) reported widespread activity of the influenza virus, with low or medium influenza intensity.
Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova and Romania reported the impact of influenza on health care services to be moderate, while 25 countries reported low impact on services.
Reports of respiratory hospitalizations and deaths to WHO/Europe influenza surveillance (EuroFlu.org) continue to decrease. Weekly reports of hospitalized severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases have declined in Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova, Slovakia and Ukraine following peaks in weeks 47?52/2009.
Reports of SARI hospitalizations in Uzbekistan have also decreased slightly from a reported peak in week 1/2010.
Deaths due to ARI in the Russian Federation have continued to decline since an observed peak in week 48/2009.
During the period 18-24 January 2010, there were 176 deaths associated with laboratory-confirmed pandemic (H1N1) 2009, raising the total to 3606.
Virological update: week 03/2010
Sentinel physicians collected 1165 respiratory specimens, of which 165 (14%) were positive for influenza virus. A total of 158 were type A (148 were subtyped as pandemic A(H1), 10 were not subtyped) and 7 were influenza B. Of the 17 countries testing 20 or more sentinel specimens this week, influenza-positivity rates ranged from 0% in Poland to 43% in Albania (median 16.7%, mean 18.3%).
A total of 1223 specimens from non-sentinel sources were influenza positive: 1173 type A (916 pandemic A(H1), 26 seasonal A(H1), 10 A(H3), 221 not subtyped) and 50 influenza B.
From week 40/2009 to week 03/2010, a total of 153 014 influenza virus detections were reported: 152 583 were influenza A (99.7%) and 431(0.3%) were influenza B.
Of the influenza A viruses, 139 605 (91.5%) were subtyped, with 138 217 being pandemic A(H1), 901 A(H1) and 485 A(H3).
Based on the antigenic characterization of 1166 influenza viruses reported from week 40/2009 to week 03/2010, 1162 were A(H1) pandemic A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like; 2 were A(H3) A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like; 1 was A(H3) A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like, and 1 was B/Brisbane/60/2008-like.
Genetic characterizations were available for 530 isolates; 524 belonged to the A/California/7/2009 A(H1N1) pandemic group; 1 belonged to the A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2) group; 4 to the A/Victoria/208/2009 (H3N2) group and 1 to the B/England/393/2008 (Victoria lineage) group.
Comment
The percentage of sentinel specimens testing positive for influenza ? as well as the clinical consultation rates for influenza-like illness (ILI) and acute respiratory infections (ARI) ? continue to decline in the European Region. Pandemic influenza activity is at low levels for the time being in most of the Region. This decline in influenza circulation has occurred earlier in the 2009/2010 winter season than in recent years. Continued surveillance is especially important to detect any resurgence in activity due to seasonal or pandemic influenza.
Further information
The EuroFlu bulletin describes and comments on influenza activity in the 53 countries in the WHO European Region. Further information can be obtained from the WHO/Europe and WHO headquarters web sites.
(...)
-
Comment