Virus WAtch Week Ending 18 January 2015
Influenza and Influenza-like Illnesses (ILI)
Summary: Influenza and non-influenza respiratory virus activity remain low and at inter-seasonal levels.
- ILI presentations to sentinel general practitioners (GPs) and emergency departments (EDs) remain low.
- Routine and sentinel detections of influenza virus remain low, with influenza A/H3N2 constituting the majority of subtyped viruses; influenza A/H1N1 and influenza B continue to co-circulate.
- Detections of non-influenza respiratory viruses were low.
Gastroenteritis
- Presentations to sentinel GPs remain elevated and above levels observed at this time in recent years. By contrast, gastroenteritis presentations to sentinel EDs decreased and are now close to baseline levels.
- Norovirus detections remain high but may be declining.
Varicella and Viral Rashes
- Shingles and chickenpox presentations to sentinel EDs are currently at baseline levels. Shingles presentations to sentinel GPs are currently twice baseline levels.
- One case of overseas-acquired measles was confirmed, and two unrelated cases of mumps were reported, one acquired overseas and one linked to other cases in fly-in fly-out miners to the Pilbara. No cases of rubella were reported.
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