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. 2024 May 20;31(5):9-15.
Outbreak of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Health Service Education and Training Center, September 25-October 10, 2023
John Mark Velasco 1 , Maria Theresa Valderama 1 , Paula Corazon Diones 1 , Susie Leonardia 1 , Simon Alcantara 1 , Khajohn Joonlasak 1 , Piyawan Chinnawirotpisan 1 , Wudtichai Manasatienkij 1 , Chonticha Klungthong 1 , Errol Roy Arellano 2 , Carrol Mae Osia 3 , Joy Magistrado-Payot 4 , Paul Fajardo 3 , Fatima Claire Navarro 4 5 , Kathryn McGuckin Wuertz 1 , Aaron Farmer 1
Affiliations
In the last week of September 2023, a surge of influenza-like illness was observed among students of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Health Service Education and Training Center, where 48 (27 males and 21 females; age in years: mean 33, range 27-41) of 247 military students at the Center presented with respiratory symptoms. Between September 25 and October 10, 2023, all 48 symptomatic students were evaluated with real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and sequencing for both influenza and SARS-CoV-2. Thirteen (27%) students were found positive for influenza A/H3 only, 6 (13%) for SARS-CoV-2 only, and 4 (8%) were co-infected with influenza A/H3 and SARS-CoV-2. Seventeen influenza A/ H3N2 viruses belonged to the same clade, 3C.2a1b.2a.2a.3a, and 4 SARSCoV-2 sequences belonged to the JE1.1 lineage, indicating a common source outbreak for both. The influenza A/H3N2 circulating virus belonged to a different clade than the vaccine strain for 2023 (3C.2a1b.2a.2a). Only 4 students had received the influenza vaccine for 2023. In response, the AFP Surgeon General issued a memorandum to all military health institutions on October 19, 2023 that mandated influenza vaccination as a prerequisite for enrollment of students at all education and training centers, along with implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions and early notification and testing of students exhibiting influenza-like-illness.
Keywords: Philippines; SARS-CoV-2; influenza; influenza A; influenza H3N2; influenza-like illness; investigation; military; outbreak; respiratory illness; training center.
. 2024 May 20;31(5):9-15.
Outbreak of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Health Service Education and Training Center, September 25-October 10, 2023
John Mark Velasco 1 , Maria Theresa Valderama 1 , Paula Corazon Diones 1 , Susie Leonardia 1 , Simon Alcantara 1 , Khajohn Joonlasak 1 , Piyawan Chinnawirotpisan 1 , Wudtichai Manasatienkij 1 , Chonticha Klungthong 1 , Errol Roy Arellano 2 , Carrol Mae Osia 3 , Joy Magistrado-Payot 4 , Paul Fajardo 3 , Fatima Claire Navarro 4 5 , Kathryn McGuckin Wuertz 1 , Aaron Farmer 1
Affiliations
- PMID: 38847656
In the last week of September 2023, a surge of influenza-like illness was observed among students of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Health Service Education and Training Center, where 48 (27 males and 21 females; age in years: mean 33, range 27-41) of 247 military students at the Center presented with respiratory symptoms. Between September 25 and October 10, 2023, all 48 symptomatic students were evaluated with real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and sequencing for both influenza and SARS-CoV-2. Thirteen (27%) students were found positive for influenza A/H3 only, 6 (13%) for SARS-CoV-2 only, and 4 (8%) were co-infected with influenza A/H3 and SARS-CoV-2. Seventeen influenza A/ H3N2 viruses belonged to the same clade, 3C.2a1b.2a.2a.3a, and 4 SARSCoV-2 sequences belonged to the JE1.1 lineage, indicating a common source outbreak for both. The influenza A/H3N2 circulating virus belonged to a different clade than the vaccine strain for 2023 (3C.2a1b.2a.2a). Only 4 students had received the influenza vaccine for 2023. In response, the AFP Surgeon General issued a memorandum to all military health institutions on October 19, 2023 that mandated influenza vaccination as a prerequisite for enrollment of students at all education and training centers, along with implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions and early notification and testing of students exhibiting influenza-like-illness.
Keywords: Philippines; SARS-CoV-2; influenza; influenza A; influenza H3N2; influenza-like illness; investigation; military; outbreak; respiratory illness; training center.