SEASON 2000-2001

BULLETIN N°8


 
   
  New information received from 25 European countries  
Overall, influenza activity declined across Europe. It has however been increasing in Russia, Lithuania, Finland, Iceland & Greece.
A(H1N1) viruses were predominant except in the British Isles & Iceland where type B was dominant. 
 
Weeks 21/06 to 21/08
  
AUSTRIA** Influenza activity due to the A(H1N1) virus has been decreasing since week 21/07 Weeks 21/06 to 21/07 28/02/2001
BELARUS** Influenza activity due to A and B viruses reached its peak during week 21/06 and has been decreasing since then down to local levels Weeks 21/07 & 21/08 28/02/2001
BELGIUM** ARI & ILI levels below epidemic levels. Ongoing isolations/detections of influenza A & B viruses Week 21/08 25/02/2001
BULGARIA Increasing levels of influena activity since week 21/04. So far, 9 sporadic A(H3N2) strains were isolated in December and January. Two A(H1N1) isolates were reported in January from sporadic cases. Weeks 21/01 to 21/06 15/02/2001
CROATIA** Detections of influenza A viruses were reported from specimens originating from different parts of the country during weeks 21/07 & 21/08 Weeks 21/07 & 21/08 26/02/2001
CZECH REPUBLIC** Influenza activity levels peaked during week 21/05 then fell from widespread (week 21/06) to regional (week 21/07) and from regional (week 21/07) to local (week 21/08). Activity was associated with A (H1N1) viruses Weeks 21/07 & 21/08 
DENMARK** Influenza activity levels have been decreasing since week 21/07 from widespread (weeks 21/06 & 21/07) to regional (week 21/08). Activity was mainly due to influenza A(H1N1) viruses Weeks 21/07 & 21/08
FINLAND** Influenza activity, mainly due to influenza A(H1N1) viruses, was reported as moderately epidemic in all parts of the country Week 21/07 26/02/2001
FRANCE** Influenza acitivity decreased down to regional levels (week 21/06) then down to local levels (weeks 21/07 & 21/08). Activity was mainly due to A(H1N1) viruses Weeks 21/07 & 21/08 28/02/2001
GERMANY** Influenza activity reached its peak during week 21/05 and then declined from widespread (week 21/06) to regional (week 21/07) and down to sporadic (week 21/08). Influenza was mainly due to influenza A (H1N1) viruses Weeks 21/07 & 21/08
GREECE** Influenza activity increased slightly during weeks 21/07 & 21/08 mainly associated with A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1)-like viruses. The first isolation of influenza B was reported Weeks 21/07 & 21/08 
HUNGARY Local outbreaks of influenza activity, in patients aged below 60 years. Isolations/detections of influenza
A(H1N1) viruses were increasingly reported		 Week 21/03 10/02/2001
ICELAND** Influenza activity due to type B viruses reached widespread levels during week 21/07 Week 21/07 21/02/2001
IRELAND** Influenza activity was mainly due to B viruses and was reported as local Weeks 21/07 & 21/08
ITALY** Influenza activity reached its peak during week 21/06. It was reported as regional during week 21/07 and then decreased down to local levels (week 21/08). Activity was mainly associated with influenza A(H1N1) viruses Weeks 21/06 to 21/08
LATVIA** Influenza activity slowly decreased from week 21/07 where it was described as regional to week 21/08. Activity however remained above epidemic thresholds. It was associated with detections and isolations of influenza A(H1N1) viruses Weeks 21/07 & 21/08 27/02/2001
LITHUANIA** Influenza activity increased in 4 regions and was at epidemic levels in ten of the 52 regions Week 21/07 20/02/2001
THE NETHERLANDS** Influenza activity due to influenza A(H1N1) viruses decreased from sporadic levels (weeks 21/06 & 21/07) to no activity (week 21/08) Weeks 21/06 to 21/08
NORWAY** Widespread influenza activity at low to moderate levels was reported in asssociation with the influenza A(H1N1) virus as the dominant one Week 21/08 28/02/2001
POLAND** Influenza activity has been decreasing since week 21/06. One influenza A strain was isolated and
characterised as antigenically related to the A/New Caledonia/20/99(H1N1) variant		 Weeks 21/06 to 21/08
PORTUGAL Both A(H1N1) and A(H3N2) isolates were reported for week 21/01 Weeks 21/03 & 21/04
ROMANIA** Influenza activity was reported as regional and was mainly due to influenza A(H1N1) viruses Week 21/08 01/03/2001
RUSSIA** ARI and ILI levels were above the epidemic thresholds in 35 regions of Russia. Influenza activity was due to influenza A(H1N1) viruses Weeks 21/06 & 21/07
SLOVAK REPUBLIC** Influenza activity continued to decrease during weeks 21/07 and 21/08. Activity was mainly due to A(H1N1) viruses Weeks 21/07 & 21/08
SLOVENIA** Influenza activity reached its peak during week 21/07 and was reported as local. It then sharply decreased Weeks 21/07 & 21/08
SPAIN** Sporadic influenza activity due to influenza A viruses. A(H3N2) was the dominant sub-type during week 21/08 Weeks 21/04 to 21/06
SWEDEN Sporadic influenza activity. 2 influenza A viruses and 4 B were isolated within the sentinel system Week 21/03
SWITZERLAND** Influenza activity remained at regional levels. The predominant type and subtype were A and H1N1, respectively Weeks 21/07 & 21/08
UNITED KINGDOM** Influenza activity has continued to decrease across England and Scotland. In England, influenza type B was predominant Week 21/08
= EISS member
     
Elsewhere in the world    
USA** Widespread influenza activity was reported by 7 states and territorial health departments, whereas regional or sporadic activity was reported respectively by 27 and 14 states and territorial health departments.
During week 21/07, 227 (14%) specimens were found positive: 48 (18%) were influenza A(H1N1), 1 (0,4%) was influenza A(H3N2), 69 (30%) were type A not subtyped and 117 (52%) were influenza B viruses. 		 Week 21/07

Bulletin compiled 5th March 2001 by Jean-Claude Manuguerra

· ILI: influenza-like illness
· ARI : Acute Respiratory Infections
· ** NEW PIECE OF INFORMATION
· EISS members: http://eiss.org