Though pandemic flu is circulating at low levels in many parts of the world, Thailand and some West African nations are reporting increased activity, and the virus is being edged out by influenza B in China and other Asian regions, with signs of westward spread, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today.
Alhough surveillance information is limited in the West Africa area, the WHO said community transmission is occurring without any sign of a peak. Senegal, Cote D’Ivoire, and Rwanda are among the countries reporting increased flu activity, but so far little is known about the clinical patterns of the illnesses there, the group said in its weekly update.
Pandemic flu activity persists throughout South and Southeast Asia, with Thailand reporting the region’s highest level of activity since the middle of January. Though about 25% of Thai patients with flu-like illness are testing positive for influenza, the WHO said the increase is well below the peak the country experienced last summer.
Mongolia reported a sharp increase in flu activity, attributed mostly to an increase in influenza B activity. Though pandemic flu activity declined in neighboring China, influenza B activity continued to increase.
Influenza B virus circulation seems to be moving westward, with the Russian Federation and Sweden now reporting that the virus is cocirculating with or dominating the pandemic virus. Iran also reported that, although flu activity is low, all recent detections have been influenza B.
via CIDRAP >> WHO: Influenza B gaining foothold in more countries.