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Influenza update - 366

27 April 2020 - Update number 366, based on data up to 12 April 2020

Information in this report is categorized by influenza transmission zones, which are geographical groups of countries, areas or territories with similar influenza transmission patterns. For more information on influenza transmission zones, see the link below:

• Influenza Transmission Zones
  pdf, 659kb

Summary

• The current influenza surveillance data should be interpreted with caution as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic might have influenced to different extents health seeking behaviours, staffing/routines in sentinel sites, as well as testing capacities in Member States. The various social and physical distancing measures implemented by Member States to reduce SARS-CoV2 virus transmission might also have played a role in interrupting influenza virus transmission.
• In the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere, influenza activity was low overall. A marked overall increase in excess all-cause mortality was seen across the countries of the EuroMOMO network.
• In the Caribbean and Central American countries, elevated severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) activity was reported by several countries in the sub-region, while influenza and other respiratory virus detections were low.
• In tropical South American countries, influenza detections were low.
• In tropical Africa, influenza detections were low overall, except for Mozambique
• In Southern Asia, ILI and SARI activity appeared to decrease in Afghanistan and Bhutan.
• In South East Asia, there were no or low influenza detections across reporting countries.
• In the temperate zones of the southern hemisphere, influenza activity remained at inter-seasonal levels overall. SARI activity appeared to decrease in Chile and Paraguay.
• Worldwide, seasonal influenza A and B viruses were detected in similar proportion.

National Influenza Centres (NICs) and other national influenza laboratories from 65 countries, areas or territories reported data to FluNet for the time period from 30 March 2020 to 12 April 2020 (data as of 2020-04-24 03:30:16 UTC). The WHO GISRS laboratories tested more than 122242 specimens during that time period. 1249 were positive for influenza viruses, of which 686 (54.9%) were typed as influenza A and 563 (45.1%) as influenza B. Of the sub-typed influenza A viruses, 298 (77.8%) were influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and 85 (22.2%) were influenza A(H3N2). Of the characterized B viruses, 3 (6.5%) belonged to the B-Yamagata lineage and 43 (93.5%) to the B-Victoria lineage.

During this reporting period, several countries tested specimens obtained through routine influenza surveillance for COVID-19 and some have found positives. WHO encourages the testing of routine influenza surveillance samples from sentinel and non-sentinel sources for COVID-19 where resources are available and invites all countries/areas/territories to report this information to routine, established regional and global platforms. (See the Operational considerations for COVID-19 surveillance using GISRS guidance)

Detailed influenza update

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  pdf, 810kb

Influenza fact sheet

• Influenza (Seasonal) fact sheet

Seasonal update

• Seasonal influenza reviews

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Source of data

The Global Influenza Programme monitors influenza activity worldwide and publishes an update every two weeks. The updates are based on available epidemiological and virological data sources, including FluNet (reported by the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System), FluID (epidemiological data reported by national focal points) and influenza reports from WHO Regional Offices and Member States. Completeness can vary among updates due to availability and quality of data available at the time when the update is developed.