Influenza Update N° 472

Overview

^{Published 24 April 2024 | For reporting week 15, which ended 14 April 2024}

Influenza

• In the Northern Hemisphere, influenza activity continued to decline in most countries. Some countries in Central America and the Caribbean and Eastern Europe are reporting continued circulation. The predominant circulating influenza virus varied by geographical area.
 
• In the southern hemisphere, influenza activity remained low with few exceptions in South America, where influenza activity is elevated and mainly influenza A viruses have been detected.

 

SARS-CoV-2

• SARS-CoV-2 activity, as reported from sentinel surveillance in 66 countries/areas/territories that met inclusion criteria, overall remains low but is elevated in some countries in Eastern Europe, South America, Western Africa, and Eastern Asia. Increases in activity have been reported in countries in Eastern Europe, Western Africa, and Eastern Asia.

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.