Giuseppe
Emeritus
World Health Organization declares post-pandemic phase (Euro Surveill., news, edited)
[Source: EuroSurveillance.org, full text (LINK). Edited.]
Eurosurveillance, Volume 15, Issue 32, 12 August 2010
News
World Health Organization declares post-pandemic phase
Eurosurveillance editorial team (
)<sup>1</sup>
Citation style for this article: Eurosurveillance editorial team. World Health Organization declares post-pandemic phase . Euro Surveill. 2010;15(32)
ii=19636. Available online: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19636
Date of submission: 12 August 2010
<hr>
On 10 August, following advice from the Emergency Committee the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the world is no longer in phase 6 of influenza pandemic alert. Margaret Chan, the WHO Director-General, stated that the Committee based its assessment on the global situation and on reports from countries that are currently experiencing influenza epidemics. While noting the epidemics with concern, members of the Committee noted that there were indications that influenza activity worldwide has returned to levels that are normally seen for seasonal influenza.
In the post-pandemic period, levels of influenza activity are those usual for seasonal influenza and the pandemic virus is expected to behave like a seasonal influenza A virus. The post-pandemic phase is an opportunity to review the pandemic itself as well as its management in the past months, and to identify areas in the preparedness and response plans that may need to be adapted in light of the experience with the 2009 influenza pandemic [1].
Expert predictions for the European 2010-11 winter are for epidemics to be similar to those in the southern hemisphere temperate countries. Current epidemiological indicators do not show any influenza activity in 14 reporting European Union countries [2].
<hr>
References
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[Source: EuroSurveillance.org, full text (LINK). Edited.]
Eurosurveillance, Volume 15, Issue 32, 12 August 2010
News
World Health Organization declares post-pandemic phase
Eurosurveillance editorial team (
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
Citation style for this article: Eurosurveillance editorial team. World Health Organization declares post-pandemic phase . Euro Surveill. 2010;15(32)
ii=19636. Available online: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19636 Date of submission: 12 August 2010
<hr>
On 10 August, following advice from the Emergency Committee the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the world is no longer in phase 6 of influenza pandemic alert. Margaret Chan, the WHO Director-General, stated that the Committee based its assessment on the global situation and on reports from countries that are currently experiencing influenza epidemics. While noting the epidemics with concern, members of the Committee noted that there were indications that influenza activity worldwide has returned to levels that are normally seen for seasonal influenza.
In the post-pandemic period, levels of influenza activity are those usual for seasonal influenza and the pandemic virus is expected to behave like a seasonal influenza A virus. The post-pandemic phase is an opportunity to review the pandemic itself as well as its management in the past months, and to identify areas in the preparedness and response plans that may need to be adapted in light of the experience with the 2009 influenza pandemic [1].
Expert predictions for the European 2010-11 winter are for epidemics to be similar to those in the southern hemisphere temperate countries. Current epidemiological indicators do not show any influenza activity in 14 reporting European Union countries [2].
<hr>
References
- World Health Organization (WHO): Global Influenza Programme. Pandemic influenza preparedness and response: a WHO guidance document. Geneva: WHO; 2009. ISBN 9789241547680. Available from: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/PIPGuidance09.pdf.
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview. 30 July 2010. Available from: http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/activities/surveillance/EISN/Pages/EISN_Bulletin.aspx
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