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EuroFlu - Weekly Electronic Bulletin - Week 40 : 01/10/2012-07/10/2012 - 12 October 2012, Issue N? 457: H1pdm09 in Scotland
[Source: EuroFlu, full page: (LINK). Edited.]
EuroFlu - Weekly Electronic Bulletin - Week 40 : 01/10/2012-07/10/2012 - 12 October 2012, Issue N? 457
Low levels of influenza in Europe
Summary week 40/2012
Influenza activity is low and at out-of-season levels in Europe.
The majority of countries reported no geographic spread and a low intensity of influenza; only Lithuania reported medium intensity.
France, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom (Scotland) reported sporadic activity.
While first influenza detections were reported from non-sentinel sources in some countries, none of the sentinel influenza-like illness (ILI)/acute respiratory infection (ARI) specimens and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) specimens tested were positive for influenza.
For a description of influenza surveillance in the WHO European Region. See below.
Virological surveillance for influenza
A total of 282 sentinel samples was tested for influenza; none was positive.
The first sporadic detections from non-sentinel sources were reported in Denmark, Latvia, Malta, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (England and Scotland).
A total of 15 viruses was detected: 11 (73%) were influenza A and 4 (27%) were influenza B.
Of the 5 subtyped influenza viruses, 4 were A(H1N1)pdm09 and one was influenza A(H3) (Fig. 1).
(?)
Outpatient surveillance for ILI/ARI
ILI and ARI consultation rates are at low levels, which is usual for this time of year:
Thirty-seven countries reported low levels of influenza intensity and 1 (Lithuania) reported medium intensity; Thirty-four countries reported no geographic spread and 5 reported sporadic activity; Twenty-four countries reported a stable trend, 5 reported a decrease and 6 reported an increase in influenza activity.
The map below presents the weekly intensity, geographic spread and trend for Europe. Click on the map to access the national web sites available. Click on the Russian Federation to access more detailed regional data.
(?)
The proportion of ILI and ARI cases testing positive for influenza in the Region is low; none of the sentinel samples tested was positive (Fig. 2).
(?)
No virus detections were reported for week 40/2012. Click here for a detailed overview of influenza virus detections by type and subtype since week 40/2012.
Hospital surveillance for SARI
Seven countries reported hospitalizations due to SARI, with the most cases in the youngest age group (Fig. 3).
(?)
No SARI cases tested positive for influenza.Click here for a detailed overview of influenza virus detections by type and subtype since week 40/2012.
Monitoring of resistance to antiviral drugs
No viruses have been screened for susceptibility to the neuraminidase inhibitors oseltamivir and zanamivir this season.
Characterizations of virus strains
Influenza virus strains are monitored each season for their antigenic and genetic characteristics, to determine the extent to which they correspond with the viruses included in the seasonal influenza vaccine, as well as the occurrence of mutations that affect pathogenicity or are associated with susceptibility to antiviral drugs.
In the 2012/2013 northern hemisphere influenza season, WHO recommends the inclusion in the vaccine of A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus, A/Victoria/361/2011 (H3N2)-like virus and B/Wisconsin/1/2010-like virus (from the B/Yamagata lineage of viruses).
Description of influenza surveillance
The EuroFlu bulletin describes and comments on influenza activity in the 53 countries in the WHO European Region. Influenza activity is monitored through surveillance of ILI, ARI and/or hospital-based surveillance for severe disease. Primary care clinics conduct surveillance for ILI and/or ARI in most countries in the Region, although some countries routinely perform hospital-based surveillance. Surveillance data in the Region are collected from sentinel and non-sentinel systems. Sentinel data come from a network of designated clinicians who routinely and systematically collect respiratory specimens from ILI, ARI or SARI cases according to standard case definitions. Non-sentinel data come from a variety of other sources, including community outbreaks, general practitioners and hospitals that are not part of the sentinel surveillance system for influenza and may not use a standard case definition for ILI, ARI or SARI.
(?)
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EuroFlu - Weekly Electronic Bulletin - Week 40 : 01/10/2012-07/10/2012 - 12 October 2012, Issue N? 457
Low levels of influenza in Europe
Summary week 40/2012
Influenza activity is low and at out-of-season levels in Europe.
The majority of countries reported no geographic spread and a low intensity of influenza; only Lithuania reported medium intensity.
France, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom (Scotland) reported sporadic activity.
While first influenza detections were reported from non-sentinel sources in some countries, none of the sentinel influenza-like illness (ILI)/acute respiratory infection (ARI) specimens and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) specimens tested were positive for influenza.
For a description of influenza surveillance in the WHO European Region. See below.
Virological surveillance for influenza
A total of 282 sentinel samples was tested for influenza; none was positive.
The first sporadic detections from non-sentinel sources were reported in Denmark, Latvia, Malta, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (England and Scotland).
A total of 15 viruses was detected: 11 (73%) were influenza A and 4 (27%) were influenza B.
Of the 5 subtyped influenza viruses, 4 were A(H1N1)pdm09 and one was influenza A(H3) (Fig. 1).
Outpatient surveillance for ILI/ARI
ILI and ARI consultation rates are at low levels, which is usual for this time of year:
Thirty-seven countries reported low levels of influenza intensity and 1 (Lithuania) reported medium intensity; Thirty-four countries reported no geographic spread and 5 reported sporadic activity; Twenty-four countries reported a stable trend, 5 reported a decrease and 6 reported an increase in influenza activity.
The map below presents the weekly intensity, geographic spread and trend for Europe. Click on the map to access the national web sites available. Click on the Russian Federation to access more detailed regional data.
(?)
The proportion of ILI and ARI cases testing positive for influenza in the Region is low; none of the sentinel samples tested was positive (Fig. 2).
No virus detections were reported for week 40/2012. Click here for a detailed overview of influenza virus detections by type and subtype since week 40/2012.
Hospital surveillance for SARI
Seven countries reported hospitalizations due to SARI, with the most cases in the youngest age group (Fig. 3).
No SARI cases tested positive for influenza.Click here for a detailed overview of influenza virus detections by type and subtype since week 40/2012.
Monitoring of resistance to antiviral drugs
No viruses have been screened for susceptibility to the neuraminidase inhibitors oseltamivir and zanamivir this season.
Characterizations of virus strains
Influenza virus strains are monitored each season for their antigenic and genetic characteristics, to determine the extent to which they correspond with the viruses included in the seasonal influenza vaccine, as well as the occurrence of mutations that affect pathogenicity or are associated with susceptibility to antiviral drugs.
In the 2012/2013 northern hemisphere influenza season, WHO recommends the inclusion in the vaccine of A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus, A/Victoria/361/2011 (H3N2)-like virus and B/Wisconsin/1/2010-like virus (from the B/Yamagata lineage of viruses).
Description of influenza surveillance
The EuroFlu bulletin describes and comments on influenza activity in the 53 countries in the WHO European Region. Influenza activity is monitored through surveillance of ILI, ARI and/or hospital-based surveillance for severe disease. Primary care clinics conduct surveillance for ILI and/or ARI in most countries in the Region, although some countries routinely perform hospital-based surveillance. Surveillance data in the Region are collected from sentinel and non-sentinel systems. Sentinel data come from a network of designated clinicians who routinely and systematically collect respiratory specimens from ILI, ARI or SARI cases according to standard case definitions. Non-sentinel data come from a variety of other sources, including community outbreaks, general practitioners and hospitals that are not part of the sentinel surveillance system for influenza and may not use a standard case definition for ILI, ARI or SARI.
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