Canada:
During the week ending January 15, 2000, 10 influenza surveillance regions reported widespread influenza activity: all five regions of Ontario, all three regions of Saskatchewan, one region in Manitoba, and one region in New Brunswick (maps). During the same week, sentinel physicians reported 96 cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) per 1000 patient visits. Since September 1999, the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control (LCDC) has received 29,450 reports of laboratory tests for influenza viruses: 4,427 (15%) were confirmed as influenza A and 16 (0.05%) as influenza B (table). Since September 1999, the Bureau of Microbiology, LCDC, has characterized 164 influenza isolates; 160 were A/Sydney/5/97-like, 2 were A/Beijing/262/95-like (H1N1) and 2 were B/Beijing/184/93-like.The provincial distribution of the A/Sydney-like isolates is: BC (14); AB (26); SK (8); MB (2); ON (77); QC (13); NB (4); NS (8); PE (1); NL (7). The A/Beijing-like isolates were from Ontario and the B/Beijing-like isolates were from Alberta. The 1999-2000 influenza vaccine includes the A/Beijing/262/95 (H1N1) strain. Concurrent with the increases in influenza, LCDC has received reports from many provinces of laboratory confirmed increases in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

United States:
During the week ending January 8, 2000 (week 1), 31 states reported widespread influenza activity; 11 states reported regional activity. Sentinel physician reports of ILI were at levels of 5%. The proportion of deaths due to pneumonia and influenza was 9.3%; over 2% above the epidemic threshold. Since October 3, 1999, the US World Health Organization and National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System Collaborating Laboratories have tested a total of 34,536 respiratory specimens of which 5,876 (17%) yielded influenza virus isolates; 5,862 (99.8%) were influenza type A and 14 (0.2%) were type B. Of the subtyped A isolates 1,370 were A(H3N2) and 3 were A(H1N1). <http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/flu/weekly.htm>

Outside of North America:
Great Britain reported increases in influenza activity, now within the range of ‘higher than expected seasonal level’; mainly due to A(H3N2), but B has also been detected. The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, France, Norway, Denmark, Italy and the Czech Republic reported A(H3N2) virus isolates; the isolates from France were further characterized as A/Sydney/5/97. Hungary reported A(H3N2) and B. France reported that the rate of ILI reporting has declined nationally. <http://www.grog.org/EuroGROG1.htm> Russia reported influenza A(H3N2), A(H1N1), and B virus isolations. Since October, 1999, four countries in Asia (China, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand) reported influenza virus isolations. China, Japan, and Malaysia have all identified A(H3N2), and China has also identified B type. <http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/en/index.html>

Reported number of influenza virus (FV) tests performed and influenza virus identifications by participating laboratories, Canada, 1999-2000

Abbreviations: Nova Scotia (NS), New Brunswick (NB), Prince Edward Island (PE), Newfoundland/Labrador (NL), Quebec (QC), Ontario (ON), Manitoba (MB), Saskatchewan (SK), Alberta (AB), British Columbia (BC), Northwest Territories (NT), Yukon (YT), Nunavut (NU)

Respiratory virus laboratory detections in Canada, by geographic region, are available weekly on the following website: < http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/bid-bmi/dsd-dsm/rvdi-divr/>

Influenza tests reported and percentage of tests positive, Canada, by report week, 1999-2000

† sub-regions within the province or territory as defined by the provincial/territorial epidemiologist
Please note that the above graphs may change as late returns come in.

Influenza Activity Level by Influenza
Surveillance Regions, Canada
January 9 to 15, 2000 (Week 2)

Click on the map to view provinces/territories and maps for other weeks.

---

Single Maps

Dual Maps

Animated Maps

FluWatch Reports

Definitions for the 1999-2000 season

[FluWatch]