Virus WAtch Week Ending 4 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.
• There were no routine or sentinel detections of influenza virus this week.
• Detections of non-influenza respiratory viruses continue to fluctuate at low levels.

Gastroenteritis

• Gastroenteritis presentations to sentinel GPs and sentinel EDs remain well above baseline levels.
• Norovirus detections have declined over the past two weeks, but remain elevated.

Varicella and Viral Rashes

• Shingles presentations to both sentinel GPs and EDs are currently above baseline level, and chickenpox presentations to GPs are also above baseline
• No cases of measles, mumps or rubella were reported this week.

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