Influenza virus activity in Papua New Guinea

Influenza viruses remain a major cause of respiratory disease in both developed and developing countries. A great deal of information concerning the structure, pathology and modes of transmission of these viruses has been accumulated, but no means of successfully combating them have, as yet, been devised. The most appropriate strategy for limiting the effects of influenza is to monitor the emergence and spread of new strains carefully and warn the public and at-risk groups of impending epidemics. In Papua New Guinea, as in most other developing countries, the major at-risk groups are the very young and the elderly. In the past, influenza epidemics were rare and affected the whole community, but with modern development and increased mobility the transmission dynamics of influenza have changed. The only influenza surveillance centre in Papua New Guinea is at the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research in Goroka, and the surveillance activities of this centre are limited to the immediately surrounding areas. There is a need to establish a national influenza surveillance network, to provide nation-wide monitoring of influenza activity, and to provide a central repository of current information on influenza infections in the country.