Weekly influenza surveillance overview, 7 December 2012 - week 48

Weekly reporting on influenza surveillance in Europe for the 2012–13 season started in week 40/2012.• In week 48/2012, all 28 countries reporting experienced low-intensity activity of influenza-like illness or acute respiratory infection.• Of 520 sentinel specimens tested across 21 countries, 46 (8.8%) were positive for influenza virus. This is an increase compared with week 47/2012 when 3.1% of specimens were positive.• Of the influenza virus detections in sentinel specimens since week 40/2012, 46% were type A and 54% were type B viruses. Of the A viruses subtyped, two thirds were A(H3) and one third were A(H1).• The number of RSV detections continued to increase in week 48.• No hospitalised laboratory-confirmed influenza cases were reported in week 48.The proportion of sentinel specimens positive for influenza virus has increased since the early weeks of the season, but there is still little epidemiological evidence of sustained influenza virus transmission in EU/EEA countries.