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ECDC EXECUTIVE UPDATE 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) Issue 31 Monday, 22 February 2010: deaths 2,723 (+ 45) in EU and EFTA countries
ECDC EXECUTIVE UPDATE
2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1)
Issue 31
Monday, 22 February 2010
Weekly influenza surveillance overview highlights
? The 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic is well past its winter peak in EU/EEA countries. In seven countries (the majority of which are in Eastern Europe), local or regional transmission of the pandemic virus continues at low to medium intensity.
? Sporadic transmission of the 2009 pandemic influenza virus was reported in the majority of the countries.
? Of the 684 specimens collected by sentinel physicians, 46 (6.7%) were positive for pandemic virus.
? In addition to the pandemic virus, there is currently no evidence of wide circulation of other influenza A viruses. A few influenza B viruses have been detected.
? The number of reported severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases also continues to decline. In week 06/2010, of the 20 SARI cases for whom underlying conditions were documented, six (30%) had no known underlying condition.
The ECDC Weekly influenza surveillance overview is published on Friday afternoons on the 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) web page (see ?latest publications?).
Updates from Eurosurveillance
In Eurosurveillance, Volume 15, Issue 7, 18 February 2010, the following article related to the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic was published:
New WHO influenza vaccine recommendations for use in the 2010?11 influenza season in the Northern Hemisphere (Eurosurveillance editorial team)
Public Health Development
Recommended viruses for influenza vaccine use in the 2010?2011 Northern Hemisphere influenza season ? 18 February 2010
The World Health Organization (WHO) convenes technical meetings in February and September each year to make recommendations on the viral components for inclusion in influenza vaccines for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
It is recommended that the following viruses be used for influenza vaccines in the 2010/11 influenza season in the Northern Hemisphere:
? A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus (the pandemic strain);
? A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus;*
? B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.
* A/Wisconsin/15/2009 is an A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus and is in the 2010 southern hemisphere vaccine recommendations.
This is identical with what was recommended for the Southern Hemisphere in September 2009, but different from what was recommended for the Northern Hemisphere in February 2009 in that the pandemic A(H1N1) strain has replaced the seasonal A(H1N1) strain.
These recommendations can be seen on the WHO website. Read more about the about the specific recommendation for influenza vaccines for the forthcoming influenza season in the Northern Hemisphere (2010?2011) on the ECDC web page.
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deaths: 2,723 (+ 45):
