


Of the countries and areas in which thresholds for ILI activity are defined, countries in eastern (n=3; Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan), northern (n=2; Denmark and Estonia) and southern (n=2; Greece and Türkiye) areas of the European Region reported activity above baseline levels.
Of the countries and areas in which thresholds for ARI activity are defined, countries in eastern (n=1; Kazakhstan) and southern (n=1; Slovenia) areas of the European Region reported activity above its baseline level.
Please note:
Assessment of the syndromic surveillance data of ILI or ARI rates might be driven by respiratory infections other than influenza virus, including SARS-CoV-2, leading to observed increases in the absence of influenza virus detections. The thresholds mentioned are related to the Moving Epidemic Method (MEM) and based on historic ILI/ARI incidence data.
For week 20/2023, 35 (2%) of 1 496 sentinel specimens tested positive for an influenza virus; 77% were type B and 23% were type A. Of 6 subtyped A viruses, all were A(H1)pdm09. All 6 type B viruses ascribed to a lineage were B/Victoria. Of 21 countries and areas across the Region that each tested at least 10 sentinel specimens in week 20/2023, 2 reported a rate of influenza virus detections at or above 10%: Slovakia (11%) and Norway (10%).
For the season to date, 28 035 (22%) of 130 244 sentinel specimens tested positive for an influenza virus. More influenza type A (n=19 525, 70%) than type B (n=8 510, 30%) viruses have been detected. Of 15 802 subtyped A viruses, 10 076 (64%) were A(H3) and 5 726 (36%) were A(H1)pdm09. All 2 616 influenza type B viruses ascribed to a lineage were B/Victoria (69% of type B viruses were reported without a lineage). All detected B/Yamagata viruses were confirmed as LAIV related detections and are not included in the season’s count.
Details of the distribution of viruses detected in non-sentinel-source specimens are presented in the virus characteristics section.
Influenzanet collects weekly data on symptoms in the general community from different participating countries across the EU/EEA. Please refer to the website for information for week this week.
* The administrative boundaries include spatial feature for Kosovo, this designation being without prejudice to position on status, and is in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) and the International Court of Justice Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.