Influenza Update N° 467

Overview

20 March 2024, based on data up to 20 March 2024

Influenza

• Influenza activity continued to decline in most countries in the Northern Hemisphere, although small increases were reported in some countries in North Africa and Central America and the Caribbean. Influenza A viruses predominated with A(H1N1)pdm09 predominant among the subtyped infuenza A viruses, with differences by influenza transmission zone.
• In the Southern Hemisphere, influenza activity is generally low, although some countries in Tropical South America and South East Asia reported increases in activity since the prior week. Influenza A viruses predominated with differences by influenza transmission zone.

SARS-CoV-2

• SARS-CoV-2 activity remains elevated in South America and in some countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Western Africa, South East Asia, and Oceania. Increases in activity have been reported in South America, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Western Africa since the prior week.

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://covid.comesa.int/publications/i/item/WHO-2019-nCoV-integrated_sentinel_surveillance-2022.1.