Open AccessEpidemiological characteristics of influenza A(H1N1) 2009 pandemic in the Western Pacific Region
Author(s) -
Lisa McCallum,
Jeffrey Partridge
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
western pacific surveillance response journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.515
H-Index - 16
eISSN - 2094-7313
pISSN - 2094-7321
DOI - 10.5365/wpsar.2010.1.1.008
Subject(s) - pandemic , case fatality rate , epidemiology , influenza pandemic , medicine , demography , geography , covid-19 , disease , environmental health , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology , sociology
The first laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with pandemic influenza A(H1N1) 2009 in the Western Pacific Region were reported on 28 April 2009. By 11 June 2009, the day the pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization, nine Western Pacific Region countries and areas had reported laboratory confirmed pandemic influenza A(H1N1) 2009 cases. From April 2009 to July 2010, more than 250 000 cases and 1800 deaths from laboratory-confirmed pandemic influenza A(H1N1) 2009 were reported from 34 countries and areas in the Region. By age group region-wide, 8.6%, 41.9%, 48.3%, and 1.2% of cases were in the < 5 years, 5-14 years, 15-64 years, and 65+ years age groups, respectively; the overall crude case fatality ratio in the Western Pacific Region was 0.5%. The pandemic demonstrated that region-wide disease reporting was possible. Countries and areas of the Western Pacific Region should take this opportunity to strengthen the systems established during the pandemic to develop routine disease reporting.