Weekly influenza surveillance overview, 9 - 15 January 2012 - Week 2

 
 
For week 2/2012, low influenza activity was notified by 25 of the 27 countries reporting, (Italy and Spain reported medium activity) with five countries reporting local or regional spread. This week ten countries reported increasing trends compared with five last week.
Of 803 sentinel specimens collected and tested during week 2/2012, 137 (17.1%) were positive for influenza viruses. This is higher than in week one and continues an upward progression since December (the high figure in week 52/2011 was an artefact of the Christmas/New Year holiday).
Of 908 influenza A viruses sub-typed from sentinel and non-sentinel sources since week 40/2011, 851 (93.7%) were of the H3 subtype Since week 40/2011, no antiviral resistance has been detected.
Since week 40/2011, 195 severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases have been reported by six countries. Seventy-seven were confirmed influenza-positive cases and of those typed or sub-typed, 15 were A(H1N1)pdm09, 30 were A(H3) and five were influenza B viruses.
Influenza transmission is progressing slowly in Europe this season and is currently dominated by A(H3N2) viruses.