Virological surveillance of human influenza in Indonesia, October 2008-March 2010

Despite the high prevalence of highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza A viruses in Indonesia, epidemiology information on seasonal human influenza is lacking. The present authors, therefore, conducted virologic surveillance in Surabaya, East Java from October 2008 to March 2010. Influenza viruses, including pandemic (H1N1) 2009 viruses, were isolated from 71 of 635 individuals tested. Seasonal influenza peaked in the rainy season. Compared with seasonal influenza viruses, pandemic 2009 viruses were isolated from younger patients with milder symptoms. Given the high prevalence of H5N1 infections in humans, continued influenza surveillance is essential for pandemic preparedness.