VirusWAtch Week Ending 14 September 2014 Influenza and Influenza-like Illnesses (ILI) Summary: Influenza and non-influenza respiratory virus activity continues to decline. Most indicators of influenza activity, including notifications, proportion of positive laboratory tests for influenza, ILI presentations to Emergency Departments (ED) and influenza-associated hospitalisations decreased this week. The majority of influenza viruses subtyped were influenza A/H1N1, although influenza A/H3N2 and influenza B continue to co-circulate. Overall detections of non-influenza respiratory viruses declined this week. Gastroenteritis Gastroenteritis presentations to sentinel GPs […]

This survey result for influenza vaccination of healthcare workers in the US is interesting. Concerning is that only 8.5% of vaccinated HCWs chose “to protect patients from getting flu” as their primary reason for vaccination. Consistent with the previous two US influenza seasons, coverage among HCWs working in long term or residential care settings was the lowest among the work settings examined. The authors conclude this might be attributable to several factors. The majority of surveyed HCWs working in this setting were assistants […]

VirusWAtch Week Ending 7 September 2014 Influenza and Influenza-like Illnesses (ILI) Summary: Influenza activity is declining. Non-influenza respiratory virus activity was relatively stable this week. Indicators of influenza activity, including notifications, proportion of positive laboratory tests for influenza, ILI presentations to sentinel general practitioners (GPs), Emergency Department ILI presentations and influenza-associated hospitalisations decreased this week. The majority of influenza viruses subtyped were influenza A/H1N1; epidemic A/H3N2 activity in the West Kimberley region continues to decrease. Influenza B continues to circulate […]

Virus WAtch Week Ending 31 August 2014 Influenza and Influenza-like Illnesses (ILI) Summary: Influenza activity appears to have peaked, and may be beginning to decline. Non-influenza respiratory virus activity was relatively stable this week. Indicators of influenza activity, including notifications, proportion of positive laboratory tests for influenza, ILI presentations to sentinel general practitioners (GPs), Emergency Department ILI presentations and influenza-associated hospitalisations decreased this week. Given reporting delays, however, it is not clear that all indicators are truly decreasing. The majority […]

Virus WAtch Week Ending 24 August 2014 Influenza and Influenza-like Illnesses (ILI) Summary: Most indicators of influenza activity decreased this week. Non-influenza respiratory virus activity is also declining. Most indicators of influenza activity, including notifications, proportion of positive laboratory tests for influenza, ILI presentations to sentinel general practitioners (GPs) and influenza-associated hospitalisations decreased this week, although Emergency Department ILI presentations and admissions increased. The majority of influenza viruses subtyped were influenza A/H1N1, but there are still a significant number of […]

Both of the Ebola patients evacuated to the US have recovered. The role of the ‘experimental serum’ they received in regard to the recovery is unclear, according to news reports. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ebola-patient-dr-kent-brantly-god-saved-life/story?id=25060979

Virus WAtch Week Ending 17 August 2014 Influenza and Influenza-like Illnesses (ILI) Summary: Most indicators of influenza activity decreased this week. Overall non-influenza respiratory virus activity is also declining. Most indicators of influenza activity, including notifications, proportion of positive laboratory tests for influenza, Emergency Department ILI attendances and influenza-associated hospitalisations decreased this week, although ILI presentations to sentinel general practitioners (GPs) increased. The majority of influenza viruses subtyped were influenza A/H1N1, but there were also a significant number of A/H3N2 […]

National guidelines for management of patients with suspected, probable or confirmed Ebola have been published today. The risk of a case in Australia is low (perhaps at worst an infected aid worker or two), but a few hospitals have seen febrile returned travellers from west Africa. The guidelines are here (SoNG for public health units): http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ohp-ebola.htm The infection control measures that are recommended are similar to those recommended by CDC; droplet/contact for most patients, aerosol precautions if an aerosol generating […]

Worried about the influenza season?  Here’s the story behind the figures. http://theconversation.com/worried-about-the-flu-season-heres-the-story-behind-the-figures-30405

Virus WAtch Week Ending 10 August 2014 Influenza and Influenza-like Illnesses (ILI) Summary: Most indicators of influenza activity increased this week, but this was largely due to an epidemic of influenza A/H3N2 in the West Kimberley region, with relatively steady activity elsewhere. Overall non-influenza respiratory virus activity is declining. Indicators of influenza activity, including notifications, proportion of positive laboratory tests for influenza and influenza-associated hospitalisations increased this week. ILI presentations to sentinel general practitioners (GPs) decreased, but data were incomplete. […]