We use surveillance data to describe influenza A and B virus circulation over two consecutive seasons with excess all-cause mortality in Europe, especially in people aged 60 years and older. ...Influenza A(H3N2) virus dominated in 2016/17 and B/Yamagata in 2017/18. The latter season was prolonged with positivity rates above 50% among sentinel detections for at least 12 weeks. With a current west-east geographical spread, high influenza activity might still be expected in eastern Europe.
Background
Aqueous zanamivir solution, an investigational product, was provided by the manufacturer on compassionate grounds for parenteral administration to severe H1N1pdm09 influenza cases during ...the 2009 pandemic.
Objective
To describe characteristics and outcomes of UK patients receiving parenteral zanamivir therapy.
Methods
Collaborators at multiple hospital sites gathered retrospective data on patients receiving aqueous zanamivir therapy between Q4 2009 and Q1 2011. We present analysis of the demographics, clinical features, treatment and outcomes of this cohort.
Results
Data on 185 cases were obtained (response rate of 38%; median age 43 years; 62% male; 17% non‐Caucasian ethnic group). Most frequent co‐morbidities included cancer, immunosuppression and respiratory conditions. Most patients received intravenous zanamivir alone (90%), for durations of up to 21 days. 13% of cases had adverse effects related to zanamivir therapy. Thirty four percentage of cases died. No significant relationship was seen between mortality and timing or route of administration of aqueous zanamivir therapy.
Conclusions
The response rate of this observational study of the outcomes of treatment of severe influenza was low, allowing limited conclusions to be drawn. Some potential adverse effects were noted. Clinicians should carefully consider potential risks and benefits of use of this product. New treatment options are urgently required to improve outcomes for patients with severe influenza infections.
In February 2013, novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection was diagnosed in an adult male in the United Kingdom with severe respiratory illness, who had travelled to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia 10 days ...before symptom onset. Contact tracing identified two secondary cases among family members without recent travel: one developed severe respiratory illness and died, the other an influenza-like illness. No other severe cases were identified or nCoV detected in respiratory samples among 135 contacts followed for 10 days.
Between 1 October 2016 and 31 August 2017, 51 Legionnaires' disease (LD) cases from the United Kingdom, Sweden and the Netherlands were identified with associated travel to Dubai. Cases did not all ...stay in the same accommodation, indicating that no single accommodation could be the source for all these infections. While local investigations continue into other potential sources, clinicians should remain alert to the possibility of LD among travellers returning from Dubai with respiratory illness.
Public Health England was notified of Legionnaires' disease in a neonate following a home birth in a heated birthing pool filled from the domestic hot water supply two weeks earlier. We describe the ...incident, sampling results, and public health actions. It is recommended that heated birthing pools should not be used for home births. Neonates developing pneumonia within 14 days of labour or birth in any birthing pool should be tested for Legionnaires' disease.
We analyzed data on all laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1pdm influenza in the UK to 10th June 2009 to estimate epidemiological characteristics. We estimated a mean incubation period of 2.05 days and ...serial interval of 2.5 days with infectivity peaking close to onset of symptoms. Transmission was initially sporadic but increased from mid-May in England and from early June in Scotland. We estimated 37% of transmission occurred in schools, 24% in households, 28% through travel abroad and the remainder in the wider community. Children under 16 were more susceptible to infection in the household (adjusted OR 5.80, 95% CI 2.99-11.82). Treatment with oseltamivir plus widespread use of prophylaxis significantly reduced transmission (estimated reduction 16%). Households not receiving oseltamivir within 3 days of symptom onset in the index case had significantly increased secondary attack rates (adjusted OR 3.42, 95% CI 1.51-8.55).
The output, the UK Avian Influenza Management System (AIMS), is a password-protected, web-based software package designed to collate epidemiological, clinical, and personal data on human cases of ...avian influenza (particularly, although not exclusively, H5NI) and in the event of a pandemic, on the first few hundred pandemic influenza cases in the UK.
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