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EuroFlu - Weekly Electronic Bulletin, Week 42 : 14/10/2013-20/10/2013, 25 October 2013, Issue No. 501 (edited)
[Source: EuroFlu, full page: (LINK). Edited.]
EuroFlu - Weekly Electronic Bulletin, Week 42 : 14/10/2013-20/10/2013, 25 October 2013, Issue No. 501
Influenza activity still low in Europe
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Summary, week 42/2013
The EuroFlu bulletin describes and comments on influenza activity in the 53 Member States in the WHO European Region to provide information to public health specialists, clinicians and the public on the timing of the influenza season, the spread of influenza, the prevalence and characteristics of circulating viruses (type, subtype and lineage) and severity.
For a description of influenza surveillance in the WHO European Region see below.
Virological surveillance for influenza
During week 42/2013, a total of 4608 specimens was tested for influenza, 25 (0.5%) of which were positive: 14 (56%) were positive for influenza A and 11 (44%) for influenza B (Fig 1 and 2).
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Of the 9 influenza A viruses that were subtyped during week 42/2013; 3 were A(H1N1)pdm09 and 6 A(H3N2) (Fig. 2a).
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Since very few influenza viruses were detected during week 42/2013, 36 countries reported ?none? in the dominant virus type category (Map 1).
Virus strain characterizations
Circulating influenza viruses are assessed each season for their antigenic and genetic characteristics, to determine the extent of their antigenic similarity to the viruses included in the seasonal influenza vaccine, and determine the prevalence of mutations that affect pathogenicity or are associated with susceptibility to antiviral drugs.
Since week 40/2013, 3 countries (Denmark, Finland and Norway) have characterized 6 influenza viruses genetically: 4 A(H3N2), 1 A(H1N1)pdm09 and 1 influenza B virus (Yamagata lineage).
No viruses have been screened for susceptibility to the neuraminidase inhibitors oseltamivir and zanamivir this season.
For the 2013/2014 northern hemisphere influenza season, WHO recommended inclusion of A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like, A(H3N2) virus antigenically like the cell-propagated prototype virus A/Victoria/361/2011 and B/Massachusetts/2/2012-like viruses in vaccines (see the WHO headquarters web site).
Outpatient surveillance for influenza-like illness (ILI) and/or acute respiratory infection (ARI)
During week 42/2013, all reporting countries in the Region reported low influenza activity (Map 2) with most reporting a stable trend (Map 4) with mainly no or sporadic influenza activity (Map 3), which is usual for this time of year.
ILI and ARI consultation rates were below the national baselines or at preseason levels in all countries reporting clinical data during week 42/2013.
(?)
The proportion of ILI and ARI cases testing positive for influenza in the Region remained low, with only 5 of the sentinel samples testing positive for influenza during week 42 (Fig. 5). Fig. 5 presents historical percentage positivity rates; the number of specimens in weeks 40?42/2013 was not sufficient for presentation, which requires at least 20 specimens per week to test positive for influenza.
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5 (1.1%) of the 466 specimens collected from sentinel sources tested positive during week 42/2013, with 3 being influenza B. Click here for a detailed overview in a table format.
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Hospital surveillance for SARI
In week 42/2013 the number of SARI hospitalizations remained at interseason levels in reporting countries participating in hospital surveillance for SARI in the WHO European Region (Fig. 7).
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None of the 80 SARI samples collected in Belarus, Georgia Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Serbia and Ukraine tested positive for influenza during week 42/2013. Click here for a detailed overview in table format.
(?)
Since week 40/2013, Ireland and the United Kingdom reported 5 hospitalized laboratory-confirmed influenza cases, with 3 of them being influenza B, 1 A(H1N1)pdm09 and 1 A unsubtyped. For more information on surveillance of confirmed hospitalized influenza, please see ECDC?s Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview (WISO) at European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control web site.
EuroMOMO (European Mortality Monitoring Project)
EuroMOMO is a project set up to develop and operate a routine public health mortality monitoring system to detect and measure, on a real-time basis, excess deaths related to influenza and other possible public health threats across 20 European Union (EU) countries.
Pooled analysis of week data for 42/2013 showed that all-cause mortality was within the normal range for all reporting countries. Results of pooled analysis may vary, depending on which countries are included in the weekly analysis. For more information about the EUROMOMO mortality monitoring system please click here).
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EuroFlu - Weekly Electronic Bulletin, Week 42 : 14/10/2013-20/10/2013, 25 October 2013, Issue No. 501
Influenza activity still low in Europe
_____
Summary, week 42/2013
- Levels of influenza activity in the WHO European Region remain low, with only a few countries reporting sporadic influenza detections.
- In all countries with established epidemic thresholds, consultation rates for influenza-like illness (ILI) and/or acute respiratory infection (ARI) were reported to be below the national thresholds.
- The number of hospitalizations due to severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) remains at an interseason level, and none of the cases reported so far was associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza.
The EuroFlu bulletin describes and comments on influenza activity in the 53 Member States in the WHO European Region to provide information to public health specialists, clinicians and the public on the timing of the influenza season, the spread of influenza, the prevalence and characteristics of circulating viruses (type, subtype and lineage) and severity.
For a description of influenza surveillance in the WHO European Region see below.
Virological surveillance for influenza
During week 42/2013, a total of 4608 specimens was tested for influenza, 25 (0.5%) of which were positive: 14 (56%) were positive for influenza A and 11 (44%) for influenza B (Fig 1 and 2).
________
________
Of the 9 influenza A viruses that were subtyped during week 42/2013; 3 were A(H1N1)pdm09 and 6 A(H3N2) (Fig. 2a).
_________
________
(?)
Since very few influenza viruses were detected during week 42/2013, 36 countries reported ?none? in the dominant virus type category (Map 1).
Virus strain characterizations
Circulating influenza viruses are assessed each season for their antigenic and genetic characteristics, to determine the extent of their antigenic similarity to the viruses included in the seasonal influenza vaccine, and determine the prevalence of mutations that affect pathogenicity or are associated with susceptibility to antiviral drugs.
Since week 40/2013, 3 countries (Denmark, Finland and Norway) have characterized 6 influenza viruses genetically: 4 A(H3N2), 1 A(H1N1)pdm09 and 1 influenza B virus (Yamagata lineage).
- 4 A(H3N2) viruses belonged to the subgroup (3C) represented by A/Texas/50/2012 in the A/Perth/16/2009, A(H3) clade;
- 1 A(H1N1)pdm09 belonged to the group (6) represented by A/St Petersburg/27/2011 in the A(H1N1)pdm09 clade;
- 1 influenza B virus belonged to the clade 2 represented by B/Massachusetts/02/2012 in the B(Yamagata) lineage.
No viruses have been screened for susceptibility to the neuraminidase inhibitors oseltamivir and zanamivir this season.
For the 2013/2014 northern hemisphere influenza season, WHO recommended inclusion of A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like, A(H3N2) virus antigenically like the cell-propagated prototype virus A/Victoria/361/2011 and B/Massachusetts/2/2012-like viruses in vaccines (see the WHO headquarters web site).
Outpatient surveillance for influenza-like illness (ILI) and/or acute respiratory infection (ARI)
During week 42/2013, all reporting countries in the Region reported low influenza activity (Map 2) with most reporting a stable trend (Map 4) with mainly no or sporadic influenza activity (Map 3), which is usual for this time of year.
ILI and ARI consultation rates were below the national baselines or at preseason levels in all countries reporting clinical data during week 42/2013.
(?)
The proportion of ILI and ARI cases testing positive for influenza in the Region remained low, with only 5 of the sentinel samples testing positive for influenza during week 42 (Fig. 5). Fig. 5 presents historical percentage positivity rates; the number of specimens in weeks 40?42/2013 was not sufficient for presentation, which requires at least 20 specimens per week to test positive for influenza.
__________
________
5 (1.1%) of the 466 specimens collected from sentinel sources tested positive during week 42/2013, with 3 being influenza B. Click here for a detailed overview in a table format.
_________
Hospital surveillance for SARI
In week 42/2013 the number of SARI hospitalizations remained at interseason levels in reporting countries participating in hospital surveillance for SARI in the WHO European Region (Fig. 7).
_________
_________
None of the 80 SARI samples collected in Belarus, Georgia Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Serbia and Ukraine tested positive for influenza during week 42/2013. Click here for a detailed overview in table format.
(?)
Since week 40/2013, Ireland and the United Kingdom reported 5 hospitalized laboratory-confirmed influenza cases, with 3 of them being influenza B, 1 A(H1N1)pdm09 and 1 A unsubtyped. For more information on surveillance of confirmed hospitalized influenza, please see ECDC?s Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview (WISO) at European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control web site.
EuroMOMO (European Mortality Monitoring Project)
EuroMOMO is a project set up to develop and operate a routine public health mortality monitoring system to detect and measure, on a real-time basis, excess deaths related to influenza and other possible public health threats across 20 European Union (EU) countries.
Pooled analysis of week data for 42/2013 showed that all-cause mortality was within the normal range for all reporting countries. Results of pooled analysis may vary, depending on which countries are included in the weekly analysis. For more information about the EUROMOMO mortality monitoring system please click here).
(?)
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