# 4662
Data from the GISN (Global Influenza Surveillance Network) understandably runs about 10 days behind their reporting, simply because it takes time to collect, collate, and package this information.
So the data we have right now is current through the 5th of June.
As you will see from the latest WHO (World Health Organization) Virological Surveillance report, and the following graph and map, that the flu strains currently circulating vary considerably around the world.
Somewhat surprisingly, the H3N2 virus - which has pretty much disappeared from North America and European reporting - continues to show up in parts of Africa, Russia, and China.
Weekly virological surveillance update
18 June 2010 -- Overall influenza activity has remained at low levels in most parts of the world. While, in most countries where human infection of influenza virus was reported, the pandemic influenza A(H1N1) continues to be the predominating influenza A viruses subtyped (70.8% globally), in some countries in Africa, however, the proportion of A(H3N2) virus detections increased.
Sporadic influenza A(H3N2) activity was reported from China and Russian Federation and several countries from Africa. Influenza B viruses continued to be predominating in some countries and areas, including Hong Kong SAR of China (70.9% of all influenza detections), Russian Federation (96.1%) and Ukraine (100%). Sporadic influenza B activity has also been observed in some other countries.
Based on FluNet reporting for the week from 30 to 5 June 2010, the total number of specimens reportedly positive for influenza viruses by National Influenza Centres (NICs) from 24 countries was 351. Of these, 112 (31.9%) were typed as influenza A and 239 (68.1%) as influenza B.
As the chart below indicates, flu activity is currently low around the globe, with Influenza B being the most widely detected flu strain.
The map below shows that North America continues to see almost exclusively Influenza A, while it is Influenza B that is most common in Asia, India, and Russia.
The outlier here is eastern Africa, where seasonal H3N2 continues to hang on.
What this bodes for the flu’s return in the fall is unknown. But we will watch over the coming weeks to see how things trend.
