AVVIZ MID-DIPARTIMENT TAS-SAHHA

SURVEILLANCE FOR INFLUENZA 1999-2000

Influenza "A" has been confirmed in a sample of persons with influenza-like illness testing with their GP.

From November 1999 to end-January, a group of three private doctors from the central and southern parts of Malta and another in Gozo submitted data in confidence to the Department of Public Health of patients with clinical features of influenza. A total of 106 patients were surveyed from the three practices.

The Department of Virology at St Luke's Hospital undertook viral antibody testing on a sample of the reported cases. 37% of those tested showed evidence of Influenza "A" infection and another 7% had antibodies for respiratory syncitial virus. These are both viruses expected in people with acute respiratory tract infection. 8 of the 10 testing positive for Influenza "A" reported not having been vaccinated for flu this season.

Resources permitting, it is planned to extend sentinel surveillance next winter with an aim of following trends from data collected on a small, representative group of patients.

Data from the Department of Primary Health Care showed steadily incremental total requests for home-visits from November into late January, peaking in the second and third weeks of January.

Chart follows.

4.02.2000