Weekly influenza surveillance overview - 22 October 2010 (ECDC, extracts, edited)
[Source: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), full PDF document (LINK). Extracts, edited.]
Weekly influenza surveillance overview - 22 October 2010
SURVEILLANCE REPORT
Main surveillance developments in week 41/2010 (11 ? 17 Oct 2010)
This first page contains the main developments of this week and can be printed separately or together with the more detailed information following.
The large majority of countries continue to report low rates and unchanging trends in sentinel physician consultations for influenza-like illness and acute respiratory infection.
Four (1.7%) of 236 sentinel specimens tested positive for influenza virus.
Ten (71.4%) of 14 influenza viruses detected in sentinel and non-sentinel specimens were type A, and three of the four type A viruses subtyped were 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1).
No SARI cases were reported for week 41/2010.
Rare sporadic detections of influenza virus along with sporadic detections of respiratory syncytial virus in a number of European countries suggest that the reported influenza-like illness and acute respiratory infection activity was likely due to respiratory pathogens other than influenza.
Sentinel surveillance of influenza-like illness (ILI)/ acute respiratory infection (ARI): All of the 20 reporting countries continued to report low activity and most of them saw unchanging trends.
Virological surveillance:
Sentinel physicians collected 236 specimens, four (1.7%) of which were positive for influenza virus. Of the 14 influenza viruses detected from sentinel and non-sentinel sources during week 41/2010, 10 (71.4%) were type A and four (28.6%) were type B.
Hospital surveillance of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI):
During week 41/2010, no SARI cases were reported.
Sentinel surveillance (ILI/ARI) - Weekly analysis ? epidemiology
During week 41/2010, 22 of 29 countries reported epidemiological data. All countries continued to experience low intensity (Map 1, Table 1).
For the geographic spread indicator, Cyprus, Estonia, Slovakia and the UK (England) reported sporadic cases, while all other countries observed no activity (Map 2, Table 1).
Compared with the previous week, Poland reported an increase in the consultation rates for ILI/ARI while Hungary reported a decrease. The remaining countries reported no change (Map 1 and Table 1). Consultation rates continue to be at national baseline levels throughout the reporting countries.
Description of the system
This surveillance is based on nationally organized sentinel networks of physicians, mostly general practitioners (GPs), covering at least 1?5% of the population in their countries. All EU/EEA Member States (except Liechtenstein) are participating. Depending on their country?s choice, each sentinel physician reports the weekly number of patients seen with ILI, ARI or both to a national focal point. From the national level, both numerator and denominator data are then reported to the European Surveillance System (TESSy) database. Additional semi-quantitative indicators of intensity, geographic spread and trend of influenza activity at the national level are also reported.
Virological surveillance - Weekly analysis ? virology
In week 41/2010, 20 countries reported virological data. Sentinel physicians collected 236 specimens, four (1.7%) of which were positive for influenza virus (Tables 1 and 2). In addition, 10 non-sentinel source specimens (i.e., specimens collected for diagnostic purpose in hospitals) were reported positive for influenza virus. Of the 14 influenza viruses detected from sentinel and non-sentinel sources during week 41/2010, 10 (71.4%) were type A and four (28.6%) were type B. These detections were reported by Estonia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Spain andthe UK (England).
Four of the ten influenza A viruses detected in week 41/2010 were subtyped: three as 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus and one as A(H3). Table 2 shows the distribution of both sentinel and non-sentinel specimens by type and subtype.
More details on circulating viruses can be found in the report prepared by the Community Network of Reference Laboratories coordination team.
In week 41/2010, seven countries reported 31 detections of respiratory syncytial virus, a number well within the range of the previous season (Figure 1)
Country comments
In Finland during week 41, nine of 21 specimens tested positive for adenovirus.
Description of the system
According to the nationally defined sampling strategy, sentinel physicians take nasal or pharyngeal swabs from patients with ILI, ARI or both and send the specimens to influenza-specific reference laboratories for virus detection, (sub-)typing, antigenic or genetic characterisation and antiviral susceptibility testing.
For details on the current virus strains recommended by WHO for vaccine preparation click here.
Hospital surveillance ? severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) - Weekly analysis ? SARI
During week 41/2010, no SARI cases were reported.
The report text was written by an editorial team at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC): Eeva Broberg, Flaviu Plata, Phillip Zucs and Ren? Snacken. The bulletin text was reviewed by the Community Network of Reference Laboratories for Human Influenza in Europe (CNRL) coordination team: Adam Meijer, Rod Daniels, John McCauley and Maria Zambon. On behalf of the EISN members the bulletin text was reviewed by Bianca Snijders (RIVM Bilthoven, The Netherlands) and Thedi Ziegler (National Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland)
Maps and commentary used in this Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview (WISO) do not imply any opinions whatsoever of ECDC or its partners on the legal status of the countries and territories shown or concerning their borders.
All data published in the WISO are up-to-date on the day of publication. Past this date, however, published data should not be used for longitudinal comparisons as countries tend to retrospectively update their numbers in the database.
? European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, 2010
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[Source: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), full PDF document (LINK). Extracts, edited.]
Weekly influenza surveillance overview - 22 October 2010
SURVEILLANCE REPORT
Main surveillance developments in week 41/2010 (11 ? 17 Oct 2010)
This first page contains the main developments of this week and can be printed separately or together with the more detailed information following.
The large majority of countries continue to report low rates and unchanging trends in sentinel physician consultations for influenza-like illness and acute respiratory infection.
Four (1.7%) of 236 sentinel specimens tested positive for influenza virus.
Ten (71.4%) of 14 influenza viruses detected in sentinel and non-sentinel specimens were type A, and three of the four type A viruses subtyped were 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1).
No SARI cases were reported for week 41/2010.
Rare sporadic detections of influenza virus along with sporadic detections of respiratory syncytial virus in a number of European countries suggest that the reported influenza-like illness and acute respiratory infection activity was likely due to respiratory pathogens other than influenza.
Sentinel surveillance of influenza-like illness (ILI)/ acute respiratory infection (ARI): All of the 20 reporting countries continued to report low activity and most of them saw unchanging trends.
Virological surveillance:
Sentinel physicians collected 236 specimens, four (1.7%) of which were positive for influenza virus. Of the 14 influenza viruses detected from sentinel and non-sentinel sources during week 41/2010, 10 (71.4%) were type A and four (28.6%) were type B.
Hospital surveillance of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI):
During week 41/2010, no SARI cases were reported.
Sentinel surveillance (ILI/ARI) - Weekly analysis ? epidemiology
During week 41/2010, 22 of 29 countries reported epidemiological data. All countries continued to experience low intensity (Map 1, Table 1).
For the geographic spread indicator, Cyprus, Estonia, Slovakia and the UK (England) reported sporadic cases, while all other countries observed no activity (Map 2, Table 1).
Compared with the previous week, Poland reported an increase in the consultation rates for ILI/ARI while Hungary reported a decrease. The remaining countries reported no change (Map 1 and Table 1). Consultation rates continue to be at national baseline levels throughout the reporting countries.
Description of the system
This surveillance is based on nationally organized sentinel networks of physicians, mostly general practitioners (GPs), covering at least 1?5% of the population in their countries. All EU/EEA Member States (except Liechtenstein) are participating. Depending on their country?s choice, each sentinel physician reports the weekly number of patients seen with ILI, ARI or both to a national focal point. From the national level, both numerator and denominator data are then reported to the European Surveillance System (TESSy) database. Additional semi-quantitative indicators of intensity, geographic spread and trend of influenza activity at the national level are also reported.
Virological surveillance - Weekly analysis ? virology
In week 41/2010, 20 countries reported virological data. Sentinel physicians collected 236 specimens, four (1.7%) of which were positive for influenza virus (Tables 1 and 2). In addition, 10 non-sentinel source specimens (i.e., specimens collected for diagnostic purpose in hospitals) were reported positive for influenza virus. Of the 14 influenza viruses detected from sentinel and non-sentinel sources during week 41/2010, 10 (71.4%) were type A and four (28.6%) were type B. These detections were reported by Estonia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Spain andthe UK (England).
Four of the ten influenza A viruses detected in week 41/2010 were subtyped: three as 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus and one as A(H3). Table 2 shows the distribution of both sentinel and non-sentinel specimens by type and subtype.
More details on circulating viruses can be found in the report prepared by the Community Network of Reference Laboratories coordination team.
In week 41/2010, seven countries reported 31 detections of respiratory syncytial virus, a number well within the range of the previous season (Figure 1)
Country comments
In Finland during week 41, nine of 21 specimens tested positive for adenovirus.
Description of the system
According to the nationally defined sampling strategy, sentinel physicians take nasal or pharyngeal swabs from patients with ILI, ARI or both and send the specimens to influenza-specific reference laboratories for virus detection, (sub-)typing, antigenic or genetic characterisation and antiviral susceptibility testing.
For details on the current virus strains recommended by WHO for vaccine preparation click here.
Hospital surveillance ? severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) - Weekly analysis ? SARI
During week 41/2010, no SARI cases were reported.
The report text was written by an editorial team at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC): Eeva Broberg, Flaviu Plata, Phillip Zucs and Ren? Snacken. The bulletin text was reviewed by the Community Network of Reference Laboratories for Human Influenza in Europe (CNRL) coordination team: Adam Meijer, Rod Daniels, John McCauley and Maria Zambon. On behalf of the EISN members the bulletin text was reviewed by Bianca Snijders (RIVM Bilthoven, The Netherlands) and Thedi Ziegler (National Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland)
Maps and commentary used in this Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview (WISO) do not imply any opinions whatsoever of ECDC or its partners on the legal status of the countries and territories shown or concerning their borders.
All data published in the WISO are up-to-date on the day of publication. Past this date, however, published data should not be used for longitudinal comparisons as countries tend to retrospectively update their numbers in the database.
? European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, 2010
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