Pandemic Flu world wide update mid February
23 February 2010
As of 14 February 2010, worldwide more than 212 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including at least 15921 deaths.
Asia
After several months of sporadic influenza activity, Thailand reported increasing respiratory diseases; however, the overall intensity of activity nationally remains low. In Myanmar and Indonesia, localized geographic spread of influenza activity, an increasing trend of respiratory diseases, but low overall intensity was reported. Activity persists in the northern and western states of India, however, overall influenza activity continued to decline or remained low in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. In East Asia, transmission of pandemic influenza virus persists but has been steadily declining in most countries of region (China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea), with the exception of DPR Korea, where an increasing trend of respiratory diseases activity was reported.
Africa
In North Africa, pandemic influenza transmission persists but substantial declines in activity continue to be reported over the past month. In Sub-Saharan Africa, limited data suggest that pandemic influenza virus transmission may be sporadic in most areas of the continent. Several countries in West Africa continue to report increases in the numbers of confirmed cases of pandemic influenza,
Europe
Pandemic influenza virus continues to circulate across central and southeastern Europe, but the overall intensity of activity remained low in most places; only Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Slovakia, the Republic of Moldova, and the Russian Federation reported a moderate intensity of respiratory diseases activity. Several weeks of increases in ARI/ILI were reported in Slovakia and in the Russian Federation, but increased activity in these countries may be associated with other circulating respiratory viruses
The Americas
In both in the tropical and northern temperate zones, pandemic influenza virus continues to circulate at low levels but overall pandemic influenza activity continued to decline or remain low in most places.
Australia
As at 12 February 2010, there have been 37,713 confirmed cases of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza and 191 deaths reported since May last year. The total figure includes 160 new reports so far this year, with no deaths. National influenza activity remains low.
