World-wide widespread flu persists

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KD Weber <wvadreamin

 

Thursday, 25 December 2003 13:19

World-wide widespread flu persists

 

 

Widespread Influenza Persists

From Patricia Doyle, PhD

dr_p_doyle

From Marianne Hopp

mjhopp12

From ProMed Mail

12-24-03

http://www.rense.com/general46/wide.html

 

Northern Hemisphere: Widespread Influenza Activity Persists - WHO

Update 5 (Week 50; 7 to 13 Dec 2003)

 

Summary

 

Influenza activity associated with influenza A(H3N2) viruses

continues to increase in Africa (Tunisia), Europe (Czech Republic, Denmark,

Finland, Italy, Norway, Russia, Switzerland, Russia Federation and Ukraine)

and North America (the United States), and persists in France and some parts

of Canada. In other European countries (Portugal, Spain and the United

Kingdom) and most parts of Canada, activity has declined.

 

Most influenza infections this season have been attributed to

influenza A(H3N2) viruses. The majority of viruses antigenically

characterized so far have been shown to be A/Fujian/411/2002-like; the rest

have been A/Panama/2007/99-like. There have been few reports of influenza

A/Fujian/411/2002-like virus detections from Asia. Influenza A(H1) and B

viruses have also been detected in some countries. Both B/Hong

Kong/330/2001-like and B/Sichuan/379/99-like viruses have been identified.

The hemagglutinins of all influenza A(H1) viruses characterized so far have

been A/New Caledonia/20/99-like.

 

An avian influenza A(H5N1) outbreak in poultry in a chicken farm in

the Republic of Korea was reported on Tue 16 Dec 2003. The outbreak was

recognized by the death of about 19 000 chickens. Surviving chickens in the

affected farm were slaughtered. As of Mon 22 Dec 2003, 9 poultry farms in 4

provinces were found to be infected by avian influenza. About one million

chickens and ducks are to be culled. The A(H5N1) strain isolated is being

examined to determine its relation to other influenza A(H5N1) viruses, which

emerged in Asia recently. So far no human A(H5N1) cases have been reported.

 

Additional investigation of a recent influenza A(H9N2) case in Hong

Kong SAR China (<http://www.who.int/csr/don/2003_12_10/en/>) is on going to

determine the source of infection. Virus isolates have been sent to the WHO

Collaborating Centers for Reference and Research on Influenza

(<http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/collabcentres/en/>) for

sequencing and antigenic makeup characterising to update the diagnostic

reagents available for National Influenza Centers

(<http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/influenzanetwork/en/>). So far

all further results of investigation appear to confirm the initial findings

that this is an isolated case.

 

For previous update <http://www.who.int/csr/don/2003_12_17a/en/> For

more information:WHO Influenza web site

<http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/influenzanetwork/en/>

 

Canada ------ During week 50, widespread activity of influenza was

reported in British Columbia and Ontario, while localised or sporadic

activity was reported in most of other parts of Canada. The influenza-like

illness (ILI) consultation rate was 52 cases per 1000 consultations, which

is below the baseline. During this week, 17 percent of 3983 laboratory tests

were positive for influenza A and no influenza B virus was detected. Of the

294 influenza viruses antigenically characterized by the National

Microbiology Laboratory to date, 267 (91 percent) were

A/Fujian/411/2002-like, 25 (8.5 percent) were A/Panama/2007/99-like, one was

an A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1)-like virus, and one was A(H1N2).

 

Czech Republic -------------- An increase of influenza A(H3N2)

activity was first noted in week 48. In week 50, localised activity of

influenza was reported with 8 influenza A viruses detected.

 

Denmark ------- Influenza activity continued to increase in week 50

and was reported as localised with 7 influenza A viruses detected. The ILI

consultation rate was above the baseline level, but below the epidemic

threshold for this time of the year. All viruses isolated so far have been

confirmed to be A/Fujian/411/2002-like.

 

France ----- Widespread activity of influenza A(H3N2) persisted in

all regions in France except Languedoc-Roussillon.

 

Italy ----- Sporadic cases of A(H3N2) were identified in week 50

with a slight increasing trend of increase in influenza activity.

 

Norway ------ Widespread influenza activity was reported as

widespread in week 50 for the 4th consecutive week. Overall incidence of ILI

continued to increase with a large proportion in the 0-to-4 year age group.

While influenza A(H3) activity was reported throughout the country, A(H1)

activity was confined to southeast Norway. All influenza A(H3) viruses

antigenically characterized so far were A/Fujian/411/2002-like.

 

Portugal -------- A decrease in influenza activity, first observed

in week 48, continued in week 50, although activity remained widespread. Of

the influenza viruses characterized so far this season, the majority were

A/Fujian/411/2002-like.

 

Russian Federation ------------------ Regional influenza activity

associated mainly with influenza A(H3N2) was observed to be increasing in

week 50 with 25 influenza A(H3N2) viruses isolated. Sporadic cases of

influenza A(H1N1) and B were also detected. Weekly morbidity was 0.69-1.5

percent for the whole population.

 

Spain ----- Influenza activity continued to decline in week 50 with

an ILI consultation rate of 117 cases per 100 000 population. Localised

activity of influenza was reported in the Castilla y Leon autonomic

community with 2 influenza A(H3) and 3 A non-subtyped viruses detected.

 

Switzerland --------week 50 activity of influenza A(H3N2)

continued to increase and was reported as widespread with 8 influenza A

viruses detected. All influenza A(H3) viruses antigenically characterized so

far are A/Fujian/411/2002-like.

 

Ukraine ------- Localised influenza activity continued to increase

in week 50. The overall weekly ILI incidence increased by 9 percent compared

with week 49, while the incidence in children increased by 23 -35 percent in

some cities.

 

United Kingdom -----------week 50, influenza activity

declined in all countries in the UK. The ILI consultation rate was within

the baseline activity range in England and Wales, while in Scotland, it was

at the normal seasonal level. During week 50, 57 influenza A(H3) viruses

were detected. Of the viruses antigenically characterized, 55 have been

confirmed as A/Fujian/411/2002-like, 3 as A/Panama/2007/99-like and 2 as

B/Hong Kong/330/2001-like.

 

United States ------------- Influenza activity continued to increase

during week 50. The overall ILI consultation rate was 7.4 percent, which is

above the national baseline of 2.5 percent. Widespread influenza activity

was reported in 36 states, and regional activity was reported in 12 states

and New York City during week 50; 35.8 percent of the specimens tested were

positive for influenza with 1342 influenza A viruses and 23 B viruses

identified. Since week 40, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in

Atlanta have antigenically characterized 2 influenza A(H1) viruses, 265

A(H3N2) viruses and 2 B viruses from the U.S.. Of the 265 A(H3N2) viruses

characterized, 62 (23 percent) are A/Panama/2007/99-like and 203 (77

percent) are A/Fujian/411/2002-like. The 2 A(H1) viruses are antigenically

similar to A/New Caledonia/20/99-like virus, and the 2 B viruses are similar

to B/Sichuan/379/99-like virus.

 

Other reports ------------- Low influenza activity was reported in

Austria, Chile, Hong Kong SAR China, Hungary, Iceland, India, Japan, Latvia,

Thailand and Tunisia.

 

Croatia, Madagascar and Poland reported no influenza activity.

 

-- Marianne Hopp mjhopp12

 

[Regularly updated maps of the influenza situation in Europe can be

viewed at the European Influenza Surveillance Scheme (EUSS) website:

<http://www.eiss.org/index.cgi>. - Mod.CP]

 

Patricia A. Doyle, PhD Please visit my " Emerging Diseases " message

board at:

http://www.clickitnews.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat= & Board=emergingdiseas

es Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa Go with God and in Good Health