Trends of Influenza infection in Suriname

The trends of influenza infection in Suriname were assessed during the period of February 2010 till March 2011. Nasopharyngeal and throat swabs from 348 patients, either hospitalized with a severe acute respiratory infection or who presented at sentinel stations with symptoms of acute respiratory tract infection, were collected and screened for influenza virus infections with real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR). Influenza B was detected in 16% of the samples, while 19% could be identified as influenza A positive, consisting of 58% pandemic H1N1 and 42% seasonal H3N2 positives. No cases of seasonal H1N1 were detected.

Influenza infection in Suriname seems to occur throughout the year with peak activity in July-August and January and a very low incidence in November-December. Each Influenza type was sustained in two different temporal patterns throughout the study period. Influenza B was the predominant virus circulating in July, while all three influenza types were present in January. The overall positivity rate of pandemic influenza (pH1N1) was 11%, with a decrease set in since April and a second wave occurring in January.

All three influenza types affected young children as the primary population and pH1N1 and Influenza B displayed an increased incidence in males in contrast to H3N2.

Publication:
Trends of Influenza Infection in Suriname
Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 7(5), 629–633 (2013):Onderzoek_determination od mdr-1