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Monday, March 29, 2010

WHO - Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 93

WHO's latest update. Please note that Malaysia made news in the update. If you have been following my blog, you would have noticed that I have been repeatedly saying that Malaysia has seen an increase in H1N1 cases and we are in the midst of a second wave but this statement was denied by many. Finally WHO itself notices the increase. I hope now we Malaysians will not be complacent with H1N1.

" 26 March 2010 -- As of 21 March 2010, worldwide more than 213 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 16,931 deaths.

WHO is actively monitoring the progress of the pandemic through frequent consultations with the WHO Regional Offices and member states and through monitoring of multiple sources of information.

Situation update:

The most active areas of pandemic influenza virus transmission currently are in parts of Southeast Asia, West Africa, and in the tropical zone of the Americas. After a period of sustained pandemic influenza transmission in Thailand over the past two months, overall activity now appears to be decreasing. In West Africa, limited data suggests that active transmission of pandemic influenza virus persists without clear evidence of a peak in activity. In Central America and in the tropical zone of South America, an increasing trend of respiratory disease activity associated with circulation of pandemic influenza virus has been reported since early March 2010 in an increasing number of countries. Although pandemic influenza virus continues to be the predominant influenza virus circulating worldwide, seasonal influenza B viruses are predominate in East Asia, and have been increasingly detected at low levels across southeast and western Asia, eastern Africa, and in parts of Europe.

In Southeast Asia, pandemic influenza virus transmission has remained active and geographically widespread in Thailand since mid February 2010 and has been increasing since early March in Malaysia. In Thailand, the overall intensity of respiratory disease activity was reported to be low to moderate, and activity now appears to decreasing since mid March 2009; 10-22% of sentinel respiratory samples from patients with ILI tested positive for pandemic influenza during the most recent reporting week. In Malaysia, limited data suggests increasing detections of pandemic H1N1 cases over the past two weeks, although the extent and severity of illness is not currently known. Low numbers of seasonal influenza B viruses continue to be isolated in Thailand and in other parts of Southeast Asia.

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