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About the Authors:
Members of the Western Pacific Region Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System
* E-mail: [email protected]
¶Members of the Western Pacific Region Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System are provided in the Acknowledgments.
Introduction
Influenza, an acute viral infection characterised by fever with cough and/or sore throat, occurs as annual seasonal epidemics in winter or early spring in countries with temperate climates [1]. These yearly epidemics pose a substantial health burden arising from related complications such as lower respiratory tract infections and exacerbation of cardiopulmonary and other chronic diseases. Influenza burden in tropical or subtropical countries is not well-defined, although there is mounting evidence that prevalence and excess mortality from influenza are comparable to those seen in temperate countries [2], [3].
The Global Influenza Surveillance Network (GISN) was established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1952 and was re-named the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) in 2011 [4]. The GISRS monitors the impact and evolution of influenza viruses and emergence of novel influenza viruses with pandemic potential. It also provides recommendations on suitable virus strains for inclusion in vaccines (twice yearly for northern and southern hemisphere seasons) and on diagnostic tests and antiviral drug sensitivity. The GISRS currently consists of six WHO Collaborating Centres (WHO CCs) for Reference and Research on Influenza (five for human influenza and one for animal influenza), four Essential Regulatory Laboratories (ERLs) and 136 WHO National Influenza Centres (NICs) in 106 WHO Member States.
The WHO's Western Pacific Region includes 37 countries and areas that span from the northern hemisphere through the tropics to the southern hemisphere (Figure 1). This region covers nearly one-quarter of the world's population with approximately 1.6 billion people. The GISRS in the region currently consists of 21 NICs in 15 countries, three WHO CCs, one each in Australia, Japan and China, and two ERLs, in Australia and Japan.
[Figure omitted. See PDF.]
Figure 1. WHO's Western Pacific Region with National Influenza Centres and WHO Collaborating Centres on influenza, and years of ILI data contributed by each country/area.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0037568.g001
Progress that has been made in the development of influenza surveillance capacity in the Western Pacific Region was demonstrated by the rapid availability of data from 34 countries and areas during the influenza...