Virus WAtch Week Ending 14 June 2015

Influenza and Influenza-like Illnesses (ILI)

Summary: Respiratory syncytial virus detections continue to increase. Indicators of influenza virus activity remain variable.

• ILI presentations and admissions to sentinel emergency departments (EDs) decreased this week, whereas ILI presentations to sentinel general practitioners (GPs) increased.
• Influenza virus detections and notifications are relatively steady, with influenza B (71%) and influenza A/H3N2 (26%) viruses dominating detections.
• Overall non-influenza respiratory virus detections decreased marginally, but respiratory syncytial virus activity continues to increase steeply.

Gastroenteritis

• Gastroenteritis presentations to sentinel GPs and EDs remain relatively stable. Rotavirus detections continue to increase, while norovirus activity is variable.

Varicella and Viral Rashes

• Shingles and chickenpox presentations to sentinel EDs and GPs are around baseline levels.
• No cases of rubella were notified.
• Several additional cases of mumps were reported among boarders at two schools linked to an outbreak in the Kimberley region, where transmission may now have been controlled.
• Two secondary cases of measles were confirmed in family members of a case imported from Bali.

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