Epidemiology of influenza B in Australia: 2001-2014 influenza seasons.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Influenza B is characterised by two antigenic lineages: B/Victoria and B/Yamagata. These lineages circulate together with influenza A during influenza seasons, with varying incidence from year to year and by geographic region.

Objective

To determine the epidemiology of influenza B relative to influenza A in Australia.

Methods

Laboratory-confirmed influenza notifications between 2001 and 2014 in Australia were obtained from the Australian National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

Results

A total of 278 485 laboratory-confirmed influenza cases were notified during the study period, comprising influenza A (82.2%), B (17.1%) and 'other and untyped' (0.7%). The proportion of notifications that were influenza B was highest in five- to nine-year-old

SUBMITTER: Moa AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5304570 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature