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The World Health Organization (WHO) produces a weekly summary of influenza activity in Europe called EuroFlu. The WHO describes the project this way:
WHO/Europe influenza surveillance
(EuroFlu.org)On this web site, WHO/Europe collects and presents data on influenza submitted by the Member States in the WHO European Region.
This regional surveillance aims to help reduce influenza morbidity and mortality in the Region by:
- collecting and exchanging timely information;
- contributing to the annual determination of vaccine content;
- providing relevant information to health professionals and the general public; and
- contributing to the response to the pandemic (H1N1) 2009.
Clinicians, epidemiologists and virologists in the 53 countries in the WHO European Region constitute the network reporting to EuroFlu. The laboratory network consists of WHO-recognized national influenza centres, a WHO collaborating centre for reference and research on influenza and two WHO H5 reference laboratories.
WHO/Europe publishes a weekly surveillance report in English and Russian, which is based on data covering the Region’s total population of 883 million.
You’ll find weekly reports going back to week 40 of 2009 archived on this webpage. A hat tip to Ironorehopper on FluTrackers for this link.
The latest report, dated January 1st 2010, is for week 52 of 2009. Perhaps most surprising is the high percentage of samples that tested positive for Influenza A (33%).
This is nearly 9 times the rate that the US and Canada reported last week (3.9% and 3.7% respectively).
Tamiflu (oseltamivir) resistant viruses continue to be detected at a low rate, with 26 of 1312 samples (just under 2%) testing positive for the H275Y mutation.
A few excerpts from the report.
Ongoing influenza activity with a high intensity in parts of central and southern Europe
Key points: week 52/2009
- This report is based on data received from 39 of the 53 Member States in the WHO European Region.
- Thirty-three per cent of specimens collected from sentinel sources tested positive for influenza virus.
- The incidence of clinical respiratory illness has decreased over the past three weeks in 16 reporting countries.
- Influenza transmission remains high in some areas, particularly in the central and southern part of the Region.
- Out of 12 countries that reported testing at least 20 sentinel specimens for influenza this week, five reported that 30% of specimens or more had tested positive for influenza.
- Four countries reported high intensity of influenza activity, with six reporting moderate impact on health services.
- Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 was dominant in 27 countries and accounted 100% of influenza A virus subtype detections in sentinel specimens and 97% of detections in non-sentinel specimens.
- 2555 laboratory confirmed pandemic (H1N1) 2009 deaths have been reported in the Region.
Virological update: week 52/2009
Sentinel physicians collected 942 respiratory specimens this week, of which 312 (33%) were positive for influenza virus. Of these virus detections, 312 (100%) were type A (300 pandemic A(H1), 12 not subtyped). Of the 13 countries testing 20 or more sentinel specimens this week, influenza-positive rates ranged from 0% (Hungary) to 72% (Greece), with a median of 36% and a mean of 34%.
Based on the antigenic characterization of 799 influenza viruses reported from week 40/2009 to week 52/2009, 792 were pandemic A(H1N1), A/California/7/2009-like, 3 were A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like, 2 were A(H3) A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like, 1 was A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1)-like, and 1 was B/Brisbane/60/2008-like. Genetic characterizations were available for 252 isolates; all belonged to the A/California/7/2009 A(H1N1) pandemic influenza lineage.
Ten countries have tested isolates of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus for oseltamivir resistance. Of the 1312 cases tested, 26 were resistant to oseltamivir. All viruses tested for resistance to zanamivir (346/346) have been found to be zanamivir-sensitive and all viruses tested for resistance to adamantanes (64/64) have been found to be resistant. This week the Netherlands reported that one additional patient was retrospectively diagnosed with a monopopulation of H275Y oseltamivir resistant virus. This patient did not receive oseltamivir therapy and the epidemiological investigation is ongoing.
Comment
Sentinel surveillance systems throughout the Region suggest that influenza activity remains ongoing, and a high intensity of activity continues in parts of central and southern Europe. The percentage of sentinel specimens testing positive for influenza in the Region was 33% during week 52/2009. While this is lower than the peak of 45% that was reached during week 45/2009, this should be interpreted with caution as clinical consultation rates and the testing of sentinel specimens may be impacted by the holiday season.
Map
The map presents the qualitative indicators of influenza activity (intensity, trend, geographical spread and impact) and the dominant virus as assessed by each of the countries.
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