Flu

Biography

Biography: Mayra Muné

Abstract

The Influenza, the most contagious of the Acute Respiratory Infections, is considered like an emergent and re-emergent illness, due to the wide circulation of old and new variants among the world population. The World Health Organization estimates that influenza accounts for a quarter to half a million deaths worldwide. Vaccination is currently the only practical means of reducing or counteracting this burden of mortality and morbidity in the community. The production of an optimal influenza vaccine requires the continuous global monitoring of influenza by the National Influenza Centre. The Cuban National Influenza Center is located at the Pedro Kouri Institute and has the responsibility to carry out the national virological surveillance of influenza and others respiratory viruses. During the past 10 years, it had been working together with national health authorities on the planning, implementation and improvement of the national surveillance program of Acute Respiratory Infections. From, 2009 to 2014, 38 935 respiratory samples from patient with clinical diagnosis of Acute Respiratory Infection were processed using an algorithm of molecular diagnosis for the detection of 16 respiratory viruses. The total of positive samples to influenza viruses were characterized molecularly; including the nucleic acid sequencing. The mayor positivity was detected for influenza A virus, particularly for the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, following influenza B viruses. In 2012 we detected the reintroduction of influenza B lineage Yamagata associated with a high rate of morbidity. Most characterized influenza A viruses matched with the vaccine strains with the exception of the circulating viruses during the season 2014-2015. These results suggest a low preventive effect of the seasonal influenza vaccine for the next season. However, the vaccine effectiveness may vary throughout the influenza season. The early estimates of influenza vaccine effectiveness obtained in mid-season may drop during the season. This situation should be kept in mind given its implications for clinical practice and public health.