Influenza Update N° 515

Overview

^{Published 26 February 2025 | For reporting Week 7, ending 16 February 2025}

Influenza

• In the Northern hemisphere, activity remained elevated in North America (predominantly influenza A(H1N1) pdm09), Central America and the Caribbean (predominantly influenza A(H3N2)), Tropical South America (predominantly influenza B), Northern Africa (predominantly influenza A(H3N2)), Eastern and Western Africa (seasonal influenza viruses of all subtypes), all of Europe (seasonal influenza viruses of all subtypes) and Asia (Central: predominantly influenza B, Eastern: predominantly influenza A(H1N1) pdm09, elsewhere: seasonal influenza viruses of all subtypes). Compared with the last report, activity increased in a few countries in Tropical South America, Northern Africa, Europe and South-East Asia.
• In the Southern hemisphere, elevated activity was observed in a few countries in Eastern Africa and South-East Asia (seasonal influenza viruses of all subtypes) and Oceania (predominantly influenza A(H1N1)pdm09).

 

SARS-CoV-2

• Globally, SARS-CoV-2 activity continued to be low across reporting countries with a few exceptions of elevated activity reported in some parts of Central and South America, and Eastern Africa.

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.
 

Starting with report #501, the Global Respiratory Virus Activity Weekly Update included data from sentinel surveillance and other types of systematically conducted virologic surveillance. Countries, areas, and territories use a variety of approaches to monitor respiratory virus activity and data in this report may vary from surveillance reports posted elsewhere. Analyses stratified by source of surveillance is available through Respimart.