International Notes Influenza -- Southern Hemisphere, Asia, the
Tropics, March-August 1985
Worldwide influenza surveillance from March to August 1985
indicates circulation of influenza virus types A(H3N2), A(H1N1),
and B
(Table 3). Type A(H3N2) viruses have been isolated most
frequently,
followed by type B. Influenza type A(H3N2) has often been
associated
with outbreak activity. Type A(H1N1) viruses have been isolated
least
frequently, often in association with sporadic cases.
Reported by Virus Disease Unit, World Health Organization, Geneva,
Switzerland; WHO Collaborating Center for Influenza, Influenza Br,
Div
of Viral Diseases, Center for Infectious Diseases, CDC.
Editorial Note
Editorial Note: Influenza generally occurs from about April
through
September in the Southern Hemisphere and often throughout the year
in
the tropics. Surveillance in these regions may, therefore,
identify
strains that subsequently appear in the Northern Hemisphere.
During
the 1984-1985 influenza season, the United States and several other
countries in the Northern Hemisphere experienced extensive
influenza
A(H3N2) activity. It appears that the present activity in the
world
results from continual spread of those strains, rather than from
emergence of a new variant of type A(H3N2) virus. Preliminary
laboratory comparisons of viruses from around the world support
this
view.
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