As of 8 April 2013, 24 human cases of infection with influenza A(H7N9) virus have been reported in four provinces of China: Shanghai (11), Anhui (2), Jiangsu (8) and Zhejiang (3). Of these patients, seven people have died, fourteen show severe and three mild symptoms.
Since the last epidemiological update of 3 April, seven additional cases including two fatalities were reported by Chinese authorities. For the first time a child, aged four years, was reported.
In accordance with the Key Tasks, ERLI-Net laboratories should participate in external quality assurance (EQA) schemes. EQA panels are distributed by both ERLI-Net and the WHO.
Following recent increased reporting of human infections in the US with an influenza A(H3N2) variant virus of swine origin (A(H3N2)v), ECDC has updated its risk assessment. It concludes that the swine-origin influenza A(H3N2)v viruses do not currently pose a serious risk to human health in general and Europe in particular.
Following the emergence of swine influenza A(H3N2) variant (v) viruses with sporadic human infections in North America, the Community Network of Reference Laboratories (CNRL) and the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency completed an exercise to assess the CNRL’s capability to detect novel reassortant and circulating triple reassortant swine viruses (TRA) in humans.
Following the emergence of swine influenza A(H3N2) variant (v) viruses with sporadic human infections in North America, ECDC and the Community Network of Reference Laboratories (CNRL) disseminated a questionnaire to explore the RT-PCR capability of influenza reference laboratories in EU/EEA countries to detect A(H3N2)v viruses in their day-to-day diagnostics and to subtype them as swine-origin variant viruses.
ECDC published an update of its previous rapid risk assessment on Swine-origin triple reassortant influenza A(H3N2) viruses in North America. This rapid risk assessment updates that of 29 November 2011, with a focus on the epidemiological information and a report on progress made to address the diagnostic needs in the European Union that will enable detection of these new viruses.
CDC has reported recent infections in children in North America with a swine-origin triple reassortant influenza A(H3N2) virus that includes a genetic component from the pandemic 2009 virus, and with probable human-to-human transmission with these viruses.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) infections are continuing to occur in poultry and humans in Egypt. However there is no evidence of a significant change in the pattern of human illness and deaths related to A(H5N1) virus infections in the country. Certainly there are no epidemiological data or analyses consistent with adaptation of these viruses to humans.