Well prepared for the flu season: diagnostics in the interest of public health
At regular intervals, sometimes daily, the latest influenza figures are published. National health authorities around the world collect a variety of patient data. The data are compared with each other or with data from the previous week or from the same time in previous years. They are then passed on to the next level, up to the WHO, to provide an overview of the current global infection situation.
The latest WHO reports show an increase in influenza cases in the northern hemisphere and parts of the southern hemisphere (Global Respiratory Virus Activity Weekly Update N° 510). A comparison with the data from the previous year shows: this is a typical winter trend. The RKI summarises that the number of influenza cases tends to increase significantly for an average of 8 to 10 weeks in the months of January and February. Estimates suggest that between 5% and 20% of the population is generally infected with the influenza virus during this period (figures from Germany). However, the severity of the influenza wave varies considerably from season to season, with some years seeing an exceptionally high number of deaths.
The flu, as the infection caused by influenza viruses is commonly known, is a notifiable disease. The resulting systematic collection and analysis of infection numbers is an important contribution to public health protection and preparedness for future influenza waves, such as:
- Monitoring and control of infection rates: Information on the spread of influenza viruses enables health authorities to take infection control measures as necessary.
- Prevention through information: The general public also benefits from the latest infection figures. They can be a useful tool for making decisions about personal protection measures, such as flu vaccination or stricter hygiene measures.
- Public health protection: Based on the infection data, conclusions can be drawn about the potential impact of an approaching influenza wave on the public health system. This is important, for example, to ensure that sufficient hospital resources and vaccine doses are available.
- Vaccine development and improvement: Data collected around the world is used in research to identify the circulating influenza viruses and to adapt the vaccines.
The COVID-19 pandemic showed that infectious diseases do not respect borders. To protect the health of the world’s population, countries are legally obliged to collect data on certain infections, as set out in the International Health Regulations (IHR). The IHR define an overall regulatory framework that determines the rights and obligations of all member states in the management of public health events and emergencies. These regulations are legally binding for 196 countries, including the 194 WHO member states, which are required to report public health events. WHO’s role is to coordinate and support the implementation of the IHR.
Precisely where do the data on current infection numbers come from? Who collects those figures to help the member states comply with their reporting obligation? They are usually collected from a variety of sources, including
- Selected health institutions: General practitioners, hospitals, diagnostic laboratories and health centres, among others, regularly report cases of influenza as part of sentinel surveillance systems. This allows data from the reporting system to be supplemented and cross-checked.
- National health authorities: Laboratories must inform their competent authority of any influenza infections detected in patients (reporting obligation!). The different countries report both epidemiological and virological information collected by their national health authorities to the next level, such as WHO.
- Infection surveillance in hospitals: In some countries, hospitalised influenza patients are closely monitored, for example to assess the severity of the infections and the impact on the public health system.
- Self-disclosure: To monitor public health and support the health authorities on a national level, self-disclosures of infected patients are also collected and published (in Germany, e.g. GrippeWeb). These data give a more direct picture of current infection levels because they come from different age groups and also include patients who do not consult a doctor.
As influenza has similar symptoms to other respiratory infections, laboratory diagnostic tests are an important tool to confirm a diagnosis, which in turn is necessary to fulfil the reporting obligation.
EUROIMMUN has developed such laboratory diagnostic tests for the identification of influenza viruses and the detection of antibodies against other respiratory viruses, thus making an important contribution to the protection of public health.
Using our PCR-based test systems EURORealTime SARS-CoV-2/Influenza A/B and GeneProof Flu Multiplex PCR Kit*, human pathogenic influenza viruses of types A and B can be reliably identified, including all known serotypes (only GeneProof Flu Multiplex PCR Kit). In addition, our multiplex test EUROArray PneuVir allows direct detection of 17 different respiratory viruses, including Influenza A and B viruses, as well as other infectious agents that are notifiable in some countries, such as SARS-CoV-2 and RSV.
Our portfolio also includes several ELISAs for the determination of IgA and IgG antibodies against influenza A and B. The serological results obtained with these tests can be used to confirm infections retrospectively. They can also be used for epidemiological surveillance.
To ensure a smooth workflow in the laboratory routine, EUROIMMUN offers flexible automation solutions for the processing of test systems, depending on the laboratory’s throughput and requirements.
* manufactured by GeneProof