ViroBlog from hVIVO: March 2012

From: Respcdsc <Respcdsc@hpa.org.uk>
Date: 15 March 2012 17:46:19 GMT
To: Respcdsc <Respcdsc@hpa.org.uk>
Subject: The HPA National Weekly Influenza Report has been published

Dear all,
The HPA is currently publishing a full influenza report weekly.
The latest influenza summary report is now available on the seasonal flu section of the HPA website.
On this page you will also be able to access a PDF file of lots more graphs from all our data sources, which will be updated throughout the season. An archive of previous reports is available here.
Scroll to the bottom of this email for full web addresses to copy/paste into your browser if the above links don't work.
GP consultation rates remain low and indicators of influenza activity have mainly decreased or remained stable.
·       Weekly influenza GP consultation rates remain low in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
·       In week 10 (ending 11 March 2012), the weekly primary care ILI consultation rate remained low in England (13.0 per 100,000), Scotland (15.0 per 100,000), Northern Ireland (32.7 per 100,000) and Wales (5.6 per 100,000).
·       The weekly proportion of NHS Direct calls for cold/flu remains below the early warning threshold for influenza in week 10.
·       The weekly proportion of NHS Direct calls for fever (5-14yrs) remains below the early warning threshold for influenza in week 10 despite a slight increase over the past week.
·       Twenty-two new acute respiratory disease outbreaks were reported in week 10 2012 compared to 13 in week 9.
·       100 (14.1%) of the 709 respiratory specimens reported to Data Mart (England) tested positive for influenza in week 10, a slight decrease in positivity compared to week 9. The majority of positive samples were influenza A(H3) (71 A(H3), 17 A (subtype not known), one A(H1N1)pdm09 and 11 B). The proportion of samples positive for RSV remained at a similar level, with the highest positivity remaining in under five year olds. The proportion of samples positive increased for hMPV, decreased for rhinovirus and adenovirus and remained stable for parainfluenza.
·       25 influenza A(H3) detections and one influenza B detection was recorded in the UK sentinel GP schemes in week 10 2012, an overall positivity of 23.9% compared to 28.1% in week 9.
·       18 new admissions to ICU/HDU with confirmed influenza were reported through the USISS mandatory scheme across the UK in week 10 compared to 28 in week 9.
·       Two new ICU/HDU confirmed influenza deaths have been reported through the USISS mandatory scheme across the UK in week 10.
·       Excess all-cause mortality was seen in 65+ year olds and by region in London and South East England in week 10 as calculated by the HPA with the EuroMOMO algorithm. No excess mortality was seen overall or by age group in Scotland in week 10 2012.
·       Following a WHO consultation, it is recommended that vaccines for use in the 2012/13 northern hemisphere influenza season contain the following viruses: an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus, an A/Victoria/361/2011 (H3N2)-like virus and a B/Wisconsin/1/2010-like virus.
·       Influenza activity in Europe continues to be dominated by A(H3) viruses with an increasing proportion of B viruses detected. Epidemics have approached their peak in the first affected countries but the trend is still upwards in a number of other countries. Elsewhere in the temperate regions of the Northern hemisphere increases in activity have been seen and it is mainly dominated by A(H3) viruses.
·       Countries in the tropical zone are reporting low levels of activity and transmission in the temperate countries of the southern hemisphere is at inter-seasonal levels.
·       HPA guidance on infection control and the use of antiviral agents for the treatment and prophylaxis of influenza this season is available on the HPA website.
Kind Regards,
The Flu Team
Full links:
Seasonal flu: http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/SeasonalInfluenza/
Report: http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1287147913271
Archive: http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/SeasonalInfluenza/EpidemiologicalData/05influsWeeklyinfluenzareportsarchive/
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