[Influenza epidemiologic and virologic surveillance in Antananarivo from 1995 to 2002]

The "Institut Pasteur de Madagascar" virology laboratory is the National WHO Centre for Influenza surveillance in Madagascar. On this surveillance collaborate the Ministry of Health with 9 sentinel centres. In the present article, the authors relate the results of influenza surveillance in Antananarivo between 1995 and 2002. Among 6341 patients with nasal and/or pharyngeal swabs, influenza virus were isolated from 427 patients (6.7%): 307 (68.4%) influenza virus A (H3N2), 124 (27.1%) influenza virus B, 8 (4.0%) influenza virus A (H1N1). The virus had been continually spreading all year long. The weak and the strong points of the influenza sentinel surveillance are also discussed in order to ameliorate the collection processes of influenzal and respiratory morbidity data.