ITALY. 2008/2009 INFLUENZA SEASON. VIROLOGIC SURVEILLANCE UPDATE (January 29, 2009) [Min. of Health]
VIROLOGIC SURVEILLANCE FOR INFLUENZA
January 29, 2009
Weekly Update 4/09
[Original PDF Document (in Italian) at :
LINK. EDITED. Translated by IOH]
This week there is an important update about surveillance activities performed by National Influenza Centre (NIC) for antiviral resistance evaluation of viral isolates.
-- ITALY
During this surveillance week
178 clinical samples have been collected, of these
39 were influenza positive.
Among them,
38 type A viruses have been isolated and / or detected, 18 type A H3, 1 H1, from Padua University.
An additional type B virus has been isolate by Parma University laboratory.
The table below showes virological surveillance results since the start of season (week 46-08) until date (week 4-09).
[WEEK: 46 / 47 / 48 / 49 / 50 / 51 / 52 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / TOT POSITIVE SAMPLES ]
- FLU A - 3 - 4 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 10 - 14 - 32 - 43 - 62 -
38 - 221
- A (unsubtyped) - ... - ... - ... - ... - ... - 2 - 2 - 12 - 11 - 10 -
19 - 56
- A/H3N2 - 3 - 4 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 8 - 12 - 20 - 32 - 47 -
18 - 159
- A/H1N1 - ... - ... - ... - ... - ... - ... - ... - ... - ... - 5 -
1 - 6
- FLU B - 0 - 0 - 2 - 0 - 1 - 1 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 -
1 - 6
- TOT POSITIVE SAMPLES - 3 - 4 - 6 - 5 - 7 - 11 - 14 - 33 - 43 - 62 -
39 - 227
Note: differences between this report and previous week one are due to further characterization / isolation activities.
-- FROM THE WORLD
- EUROPE
Influenza virus circulation continues to rise.
Viruses Type A/H3 are at the moment the predominant strains.
During this week
3029 clinical samples have been collected. Of these 1710, (56%), were influenza positive: 1663 were type A (677 type H3, 37 type H1 and the remaining 949 not yet subtyped).
47 were influenza viruses type B.
Virus isolation and characterization demonstrated that all circulating strains to date were closely related to seasonal influenza vaccine reference strains, with the exception of some influenza B belonging to B/Victoria lineage, not included in this season vaccines.
Further informations are available at:
http://www.eiss.org/index.cgi
http://www.grog.org/
- USA
Influenza virus circulation is increasing.
3544 clinical samples have been collected, and among them 409, (11.5%), were influenza positive.
Of these
44 were type A/H1, 4 A/H3, whereas 298 were type A but not yet subtyped. The remaining 63 were type B.
Further informations at:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/
FIRST ISOLATION IN ITALY OF INFLUENZA A/(H1N1) VIRUSES RESISTANT TO OSELTAMIVIR (2008/2009 Season).
During last surveillance week, Parma's University detected first
FIVE A/(H1N1) influenza virus isolations for this season in Italy.
From the analysis performed by NIC,
ALL OF THEM WERE OSELTAMIVIR RESISTANT (IC50 value very high); while resistant to oseltamivir, these viruses remained susceptible to Zanamivir.
Corresponding clinical samples were collected at Parma, during week 03/2009, from
three children and two adults respectively.
Among these patients,
three received this season influenza vaccine, while none of them were treated with oseltamivir.
Full genetic sequencing is undergoing both for HA and NA gene segments of these isolates.
In other EU Member States A/H1N1 viral strains demonstrated an high level of oseltamivir resistance (more than 97%) as well.
Further informations at (
http://ecdc.europa.eu).
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