# 4205
The HPA (Health Protection Agency) of the UK releases surveillance data not unlike that we get from the CDC’s FluView and Canada’s FluWatch reports.
Like the US, Canada, and much of western Europe, the numbers in the UK (consultations, illnesses, hospitalizations) are all decreasing.
Weekly pandemic flu media update
31 December 2009
KEY POINTS
- Most indicators show that flu activity is continuing to decrease across the UK. Some caution must be exercised, however, as the indicators may be influenced by the holiday period.
- The consultation rate for flu-like illness in England from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) scheme has decreased to 12.7 per 100,000 in week 52 compared to 24.7 in week 51. This is below the English baseline threshold of 30/100,000.
- The estimated cases self referring to the National Pandemic Flu Service have shown decreases in all areas of assessments, authorisations and collections. This is across all regions and all age groups.
VIRAL CHARACTERISTICS
To date (as of 30 December 2009) 4,563 viruses have been analysed by the HPA Centre for Infections for the genetic marker commonly associated with resistance to oseltamivir in seasonal H1N1 flu (H274Y). 31 viruses have been found to carry this marker in the UK with three of these, through additional testing, showing evidence of resistance when viral growth is tested in the presence of oseltamivir. These viruses are still sensitive to zanamivir. In addition, 293 specimens have been fully tested for susceptibility to antivirals.
Information on medical history was available for 17 cases, all of whom had an underlying medical condition: 14 were immunosuppressed and three had chronic respiratory or neurological illnesses.
Testing of samples, taken before and after treatment with oseltamivir, show that the antiviral resistance in 14 of the cases was treatment-induced, four are probably acquired through person to person transmission, and in four cases the origin of the resistant virus is still under investigation.
The agency is continually assessing its advice to government on health protection policies such as antiviral use. Currently there is no requirement to change existing guidance.
There have been no significant changes in the virus.
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