Influenza monthly update: March 2024 – Epidemiological weeks: 10-13, 2024

Country Somalia Egypt Libya Morocco Tunisia Afghanistan Iran (Islamic Republic of) Pakistan Bahrain Iraq Jordan Lebanon occupied Palestinian territory Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia Syrian Arab Republic United Arab Emirates Yemen Transmission zone Eastern Africa Northern Africa Southern Asia Western Asia Total Number of enrolled cases 2599 26119 690 3160 2515 3141 106928 8827 5223 1023 4340 2993 1032 7989 20118 38704 1138 46657 166 283362 Number of tested cases (%) 2538 (98) 26119 (100) 687 (100) 3160 (100) 2515 (100) 3131 (100) 106928 (100) 8825 (100) 5199 (100) 1017 (99) 4340 (100) 2993 (100) 1032 (100) 7984 (100) 20118 (100) 37878 (98) 1127 (99) 46649 (100) 154 (93) 282394 (100) Numbr of positive cases (%) 91 (4) 3174 (12) 55 (8) 532 (17) 408 (16) 231 (7) 19252 (18) 934 (11) 888 (17) 90 (9) 397 (9) 825 (28) 121 (12) 1343 (17) 2569 (13) 4962 (13) 167 (15) 6152 (13) 4 (3) 42195 (15) A (H1N1)pdm09 54 (2) 1907 (7) 0 (0) 48 (2) 193 (8) 4 (0) 7063 (7) 0 (0) 400 (8) 22 (2) 40 (1) 571 (19) 1 (0) 347 (4) 488 (2) 1057 (3) 4 (0) 1730 (4) 0 (0) 13929 (5) A (H5) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) A (not subtyped) 33 (1) 0 (0) 50 (7) 251 (8) 0 (0) 0 (0) 6061 (6) 0 (0) 20 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 734 (9) 1034 (5) 1635 (4) 17 (2) 597 (1) 4 (3) 10436 (4) Number of flu B cases (%) 4 (0) 1037 (4) 5 (1) 1 (0) 0 (0) 51 (2) 3359 (3) 11 (0) 223 (4) 2 (0) 0 (0) 174 (6) 0 (0) 84 (1) 487 (2) 1109 (3) 48 (4) 1023 (2) 0 (0) 7618 (3) A (H3) 0 (0) 230 (1) 0 (0) 232 (7) 215 (9) 176 (6) 2769 (3) 923 (10) 245 (5) 66 (6) 357 (8) 80 (3) 120 (12) 178 (2) 560 (3) 1161 (3) 98 (9) 2802 (6) 0 (0) 10212 (4) Flu A (%) Published by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in Cairo, Egypt. The information in this document is gathered from the Region’s ministries of health. For more information, please contact: emrgohspoutbreak@who.int World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Monazamet El Seha El Alamia Str,Extension of Abdel Razak El Sanhouri Street P.O. Box 7608, Nasr City Cairo 11371, Egypt www.emro.who.int © World Health Organization 2024 Document number: WHO-EM/CSR/742/E Fig 2. Proportion of influenza types and subtypes/ lineages, EMR, March 2024 Key highlights In March 2024, 18 out of 21 Member States with existing influenza surveillance system in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) reported influenza data to FluNet and/or EMFLU (Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunis, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen) The influenza-positive proportion has been showing a decreasing trend since its highest peak (28%) in week 42 of season 2023-24 (Figure 1) In the current analytical period (epidemiological week 27 2023 to week 13,2024), there was a 13% increase in the number of enrolled cases (283,362 compared to the previous reporting period with 250,696 cases in epidemiological week 27 to week 09, 2024). Out of the 283,362 enrolled cases, 282,394 (99.7%) were tested and, out of those, 42,195 (15%) were influenza-positive (Table) Influenza positivity proportions varied across countries; from 0% in Somalia to 27% in Lebanon based on 200 or more specimens tested during March 2024 In March 2024, 27,849 cases were enrolled of which, 27,617 specimens were tested for influenza (99%). Of those specimens tested, 2,194 (8%) were positive The positivity proportion of influenza type B was higher than that of type A (55% and 45% respectively) during the month of March (Figure 2) Of the total 2,194 specimens that tested positive for influenza in March, 962 (44%) were influenza B (lineage not determined), 443 (20%) were A (H1N1) pdm09, 308 (14%) were influenza A (not subtyped), 245 (11%) were type A(H3), and 236 (11%) were influenza B (Victoria lineage) (Figure 2 and Map) INFLUENZA MONTHLY UPDATE March 2024 - Epidemiological weeks: 10-13, 2024 Fig 1. Number of specimens by influenza virus subtypes/lineages and percentage of specimens testing positive for influenza viruses in the Region from week 27, 2019 to week 13, 2024 Table. Reported cumulative cases by country in the Region during the analytical period week 27, 2022 to week 13, 2024Map. Influenza positivity rate and detected influenza types and subtypes by country, EMR, March 2024 Source of data: FluNet and EMFLU Afghanistan Pakistan Islamic Republic of Iran Iraq Syrian Arab RepublicLebanon Jordan Egypt Libya Tunisia Morocco Sudan Occupied Palestinian territory Kuwait Qatar Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Oman Yemen Somalia Djibouti Bahrain A (H1N1) pdm09 A (H3) A (H5) A (not subtyped) B (Yamagata lineage) B (Victoria lineage) B (lineage not determined) % of positive specimens A (H1N1) pdm09 A (H3) A (not subtyped) B (Victoria lineage) B (lineage not determined) . . . . . . . 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 % o f po si ti ve s pe ci m en s N um be r of s pe ci m en s Analytical period 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 2019/2020 2020/2021 2021/2022 2022/2023 2023/2024 11% 44% 20% 11% 14% For any queries about this bulletin, please contact: emrgoihp@who.int W 30 W 33 W 36 W 39 W 42 W 45 W 48 W 51 W 02 W 05 W 08 W 11 W 14 W 17 W 20 W 23 W 26 W 29 W 32 W 35 W 38 W 41 W 44 W 47 W 50 W 53 W 03 W 06 W 09 W 12 W 15 W 18 W 21 W 24 W 27 W 30 W 33 W 36 W 39 W 42 W 45 W 48 W 51 W 02 W 05 W 08 W 11 W 14 W 17 W 20 W 23 W 26 W 29 W 32 W 35 W 38 W 41 W 44 W 47 W 50 W 01 W 04 W 07 W 10 W 13 W 16 W 19 W 22 W 25 W 28 W 31 W 34 W 37 W 40 W 43 W 46 W 49 W 52 W 03 W 06 W 09 W 12