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Content on this page was developed during the 2009-2010 H1N1 pandemic and has not been updated.

  • The H1N1 virus that caused that pandemic is now a regular human flu virus and continues to circulate seasonally worldwide.
  • The English language content on this website is being archived for historic and reference purposes only.
  • For current, updated information on seasonal flu, including information about H1N1, see the CDC Seasonal Flu website.

2009 H1N1 Flu: International Situation Update

April 16, 2010, 3:30 PM ET

This report provides an update to the international flu situation using data collected through April 11, 2010, and reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) on April 16. WHO continues to report laboratory-confirmed 2009 H1N1 flu cases and deaths on its Web page. These laboratory-confirmed cases represent a substantial underestimation of total cases in the world, as most countries focus surveillance and laboratory testing only on people with severe illness.

Currently, 2009 H1N1 flu activity is highest in parts of Southeast Asia, West and Eastern Africa, and the tropical regions of the Americas. Overall, influenza activity remains low in the Northern Hemisphere, and at this time, little influenza activity has been reported in the Southern Hemisphere. Seasonal influenza B viruses continue to circulate as the predominant influenza subtype in East Asia and have been detected at low levels across parts of Europe. Sporadic detections of seasonal influenza A (H3N2) viruses have been reported across Asia, Eastern Europe, and Eastern Africa. In recent weeks, the highest H3N2 influenza activity has been reported in Indonesia and Tanzania.

Selected Highlights

  • According to WHO, the majority of 2009 H1N1 virus isolates tested worldwide remain sensitive to oseltamivir, an antiviral medicine used to treat flu. Among 2009 H1N1 isolates tested worldwide, 285 have been found to be resistant to oseltamivir – 64 of these isolates were detected in the United States. Approximately 1.2% of U.S. 2009 H1N1 viruses tested by CDC since September 30, 2009, have been resistant to oseltamivir.
  • Influenza B was reported as the predominate influenza virus accounting for 68.6% of all influenza detections in the Russian Federation, 72.7% in Cameroon, 88.7% in China, 95.2% in the Republic of Korea, and 100% in Mongolia. An increase in influenza B activity has also been observed in other countries including Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Singapore and Sweden.
  • Sporadic influenza A (H3N2) activity was also reported from certain countries in East Asia and Europe, including China, Japan, the Russian Federation, Singapore and Thailand.
  • On February 18, 2010, WHO published recommendations for the following viruses to be used for influenza vaccines in the 2010-2011 influenza season of the Northern Hemisphere:
    • an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus;
    • an A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus*;
    • a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

* A/Wisconsin/15/2009 is an A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus and is a 2010 Southern Hemisphere vaccine virus.

International Resources for 2009 H1N1 Information

Health Organizations

World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Offices

Travel and 2009 H1N1 Flu

Human cases of 2009 H1N1 flu virus infection have been identified in the United States and several countries around the world. For information on 2009 H1N1 flu and travel, see the CDC H1N1 Flu and Travel website.

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