WHO : Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 109

From WHO :

" Weekly update

16 July 2010 -- As of 12 July, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18337deaths.

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:

In Asia, overall pandemic influenza activity remains low to sporadic, except in parts of southern and western India, Malaysia, and Singapore. As reported last week, in India, transmission of pandemic influenza virus remains active but stable in the southern state of Kerala. The extent of illness in the community is currently being assessed and monitored by the Government of India. Similar numbers of new cases, including small numbers of fatal cases, have been reported on a weekly basis since transmission first increased during mid-June 2010. Recent, small increases in pandemic influenza virus circulation have also been observed since mid-June 2010 in other southern and western states of India, particularly in the western state of Maharashtra. In Singapore, levels of ARI increased during the first two weeks of July 2010; however, the intensity of pandemic influenza virus transmission has declined during June and July 2010 after peaking in May 2010. The proportion of patients with ILI testing positive for pandemic influenza virus in Singapore remained stable (14-16%) during first two weeks of July 2010. In addition, substantial co-circulation of seasonal influenza H3N2 viruses (with pandemic H1N1 virus) was detected in Singapore throughout May and June 2010. In Malaysia, numbers of new cases of pandemic influenza continued to decline; overall pandemic influenza activity fell substantially in June and early July 2010 after peaking during mid-April to mid-May 2010. Low levels of seasonal influenza type B viruses (and to much lesser extent pandemic influenza virus) continue to circulate across northern and southern China as levels of ILI remain stable and near seasonal levels seen in the same period in recent years. Low levels of pandemic and seasonal influenza (H3N2 and type B) viruses also continued to circulate in Hong Kong SAR (China), Chinese Taipei, and parts of Thailand."