Published Date: 2002-08-28 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/EDR> Influenza - Madagascar (Fianarantsoa)
Archive Number: 20020828.5175
INFLUENZA - MADAGASCAR (FIANARANTSOA)
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Wed 28 Aug 2002
From: Marianne Hopp <mjhopp12@yahoo.com>
Source: World Health Organisation (WHO), Disease Outbreaks Report, Wed 28
Aug 2002 [edited]
<http://www.who.int/disease-outbreak-news/n2002/august/28august2002.html>
Influenza in Madagascar - WHO Update 5
-------------------------------------
The outbreak has extended to 5 out of 6 provinces in Madagascar, the
exception being Antsiranana province in the north-east of the country [see
previous report, ref. (09) below].
The international team from the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network
continues to work with mobile teams from the Ministry of Health
investigating these cases and collecting samples. Since the beginning of
August 2002, additional influenza A(H3N2) viruses have been isolated from
cases in different provinces:
<http://www.who.int/emc/global_outbreak_network.htm>
Analysis by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on
Influenza in London, United Kingdom, and the Institut Pasteur, Madagascar
(National Influenza Centre) have shown that the circulating influenza virus
is similar to A(H3N2) viruses -- A/Panama/2007/99/(H3N2) -- that have been
circulating in the northern and southern hemispheres for several years. The
virus circulating in Madagascar is similar to those included in the current
influenza vaccine, and also in the vaccine for the coming influenza season
in the northern hemisphere; these vaccines, therefore, protect against
infection by this virus.
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[The change in title indicates that I have given up the theory that this
might be an epidemic of mixed etiology. It would have been sad from the
public health point of view, but epidemiologically exciting, to have found
that a new Hendra-like paramyxovirus was involved. - Mod.JW]