Influenza Update N° 498

Overview

^{Published 23 October 2024 | For reporting Week 41, ending 13 October 2024}

Influenza

• In the Northern hemisphere, influenza activity in temperate countries remained at interepidemic levels. Activity was elevated in some countries in Western Africa (due mostly to A(H3N2) and B viruses), Middle Africa (due mostly to A(H3N2) viruses), Western Asia (due mostly to A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses), Southern Asia (due mostly to A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses), South East Asia (due mostly to A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses) and Central America and the Caribbean (due mostly to A(H3N2) viruses). Activity increased in some countries in Western Africa, Middle Africa and Southern Asia.
• In the Southern hemisphere, influenza activity remained elevated in some countries in South America (due to B viruses), Eastern Africa (due to A and B viruses) and Oceania Melanesia Polynesia (due to influenza A). Increased activity was reported in one country in Oceania Melanesia Polynesia and Eastern Africa.

 

SARS-CoV-2

• SARS-CoV-2 activity remained elevated in many countries in Europe and in a few countries in Eastern Asia and Western Africa. Increased activity was reported in a few countries in Europe, Eastern Asia and Western Africa but declined or was similar in all other reporting countries.

WHO encourages countries, especially those that have received the multiplex influenza and SARS-CoV-2 reagent kits from GISRS, to conduct integrated surveillance of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 and report epidemiological and laboratory information in a timely manner to established regional and global platforms. The guidance can be found here https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-2019-nCoV-integrated_sentinel_surveillance-2022.1.