INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE IN RUSSIA BASED ON EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND LABORATORY DATA FOR THE PERIOD FROM 2005 TO 2012

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Influenza virus surveillance is crucial for understanding evolution and vaccine development.
• Russia's surveillance involves collaboration between National Influenza Centers (NICs) and Regional Bases.
• Data is shared globally through WHO's Flu Net and Euro Flu databases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze influenza epidemiology in Russia from pre-pandemic to pandemic periods.
• To assess the impact of the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 pandemic.
• To evaluate improvements in Russia's influenza surveillance system.

Main Methods:

• Data collection from 59 Regional Bases into an electronic database at the Research Institute of Influenza (RII).
• Analysis of epidemiological and laboratory data, including virus characterization and antiviral susceptibility testing.
• Implementation of advanced diagnostic methods like rRT-PCR and phylogenetic analysis.

Main Results:

• Moderate influenza epidemics occurred pre-pandemic, primarily affecting young children.
• The influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 pandemic waves caused significant increases in morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality.
• Circulating influenza viruses were generally antigenically related to WHO vaccine recommendations, with some lineage shifts in influenza B.

Conclusions:

• Russia's enhanced influenza surveillance system, incorporating international standards and new technologies, improved pandemic virus detection.
• The system facilitates timely reporting and response to influenza threats.
• Strengthened surveillance is vital for global influenza preparedness and vaccine composition.