INFLUENZA PANDEMIC (H1N1) (49): PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION

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A ProMED-mail post

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Date: Tue 6 Jul 2010
Source: Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), Regional Update,
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 [edited]



Regional Update, Pandemic (H1N1) 2009
---------------------------------------
The information contained within this update is obtained from data
provided by Ministries of Health of Member States and National
Influenza Centers through reports sent to the Pan American Health
Organization (PAHO) or updates on their web pages.

Weekly Update
-------------------

- In North America, acute respiratory disease activity remained low.
- In the Caribbean, Jamaica reported an increasing trend in acute
respiratory disease
- In Central America, El Salvador and Panama reported increasing
trends in acute respiratory disease. Panama reported a high intensity
of acute respiratory disease and moderate impact on health care
services
- In South America, Colombia reported an increased trend of acute
respiratory disease.
- In EW 22-25, Panama reported a sharp increase in the number of
influenza A/H3 viruses and influenza A not subtyped. Argentina (EW
24) and Chile (EW 25) continue to report a predominance of RSV
[respiratory syncytial virus].
- 54 new confirmed deaths in 5 countries were reported; in total,
there have been 8516 cumulative confirmed deaths in 28 countries of
the region.

I - Evolution of the pandemic
----------------------------
North America
In the United States, in EW 25, the proportion of outpatient
consultations for influenza-like illness (ILI) continued to remain
below the national baseline. All the sub-national surveillance
regions reported the proportion of ILI to be below their
region-specific baseline. The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza was below the epidemic threshold. No
influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported this week.

Caribbean
Influenza activity was reported as widespread in Jamaica, regional in
Cuba, and localized in Dominica. Trends of acute respiratory disease
were reported as increasing in Dominica, unchanged in Jamaica, and
decreasing in Cuba. All countries reported low/moderate intensity of
acute respiratory disease and low impact of acute respiratory disease
on health care services.

Jamaica, in EW 24, reported an unchanged SARI (severe acute
respiratory illness) and ARI (acute respiratory illness) rate as
compared to the previous week, remaining slightly above the national
baseline.

Central America
Influenza activity was reported as widespread in Costa Rica, regional
in Nicaragua and Panama, and no activity in El Salvador. El Salvador
and Panama reported increasing trends in acute respiratory disease,
while Costa Rica and Nicaragua reported unchanged and decreasing
trends, respectively. All the countries reported low/moderate
intensity of acute respiratory disease, except Panama, which reported
high intensity. Costa Rica and El Salvador reported low impact of
acute respiratory disease on health care services, while Nicaragua
and Panama reported moderate impact.

In EW 24, Costa Rica reported a slight increase in SARI
hospitalizations and increased trends in confirmed pandemic cases in
5 of the provinces, especially in Alajuela, Heredia, and Puntarenas.

In EW 24 and 25, Panama reported an increased number of cases of
seasonal influenza (H3N2) in the province of Panama and some pandemic
influenza cases in the northern province of Chiriqui.

South America

Andean
Bolivia and Colombia reported regional influenza activity. Colombia
reported an increasing trend in acute respiratory disease, and
Bolivia reported a decreasing trend in acute respiratory disease.
Both countries reported low/moderate intensity of acute respiratory
disease, and low impact on health care services.

In EW 25 in Bolivia, at the national level, the number of SARI cases
decreased compared to the previous week, remaining within the endemic
channel. In the northern department of Pando, the number of SARI
cases was above the epidemic threshold.

In EW 24, Peru reported an increase in the number of confirmed
pandemic influenza cases in the southern region during the last 4 EW,
especially in the department of Arequipa.

In EW 24, Venezuela reported a decrease of 7.7 percent in the number
of acute respiratory disease cases, as compared to the previous week,
and an increase of 1.7 percent in the number of pneumonia cases, with
the highest percentage in the 1-4 year age group.

Southern Cone
Brazil and Chile reported regional influenza activity. The trends in
acute respiratory disease were reported as decreasing in Brazil and
unchanged in Chile. Both countries reported low to moderate intensity
of acute respiratory disease and low impact on health care services.

In Argentina, between EW 21-23, the number of hospitalizations among
children under 5 years of age with acute lower respiratory infection
has remained stable, after an increase of 122 percent between EW
16-21.

In Chile, nationally, consultations for ILI remained low and within
the endemic channel. At the regional level, one region (Tarapaca)
reported high ILI activity, one reported moderate ILI activity, 10
regions reported low ILI activity, and 4 regions reported no ILI
activity. The percentage of consultations for pneumonia out of the
total number of consultations increased by 2 percent, especially
among children under 15 years of age.

[The remaining sections of this document, "II - Description of
hospitalizations and deaths among confirmed cases of pandemic (H1N1)
2009," and "III - Viral circulation," contain maps, graphs and
tabulated data. Interested readers should access the original pdf
file via the URL at the top of this report to view these sections and
the references for the data in part I. - Mod.CP]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Marianne Hopp

[see also:
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) (48): India 20100706.2249
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) (47): WHO update 107 20100704.2223
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) (46): India, monsoon 20100630.2177
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) (45): WHO update 106 20100626.2142
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) (40): WHO update 104 20100612.1970
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) (30): WHO update 20100417.1250
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) (20): China, update 20100303.0702
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) (10): PAHO update 20100121.0240
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) (01): China, 2009 20100105.0040]
.......................................................cp/msp/lm

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