In February and March 2012, excess deaths among the elderly have been observed in 12 European countries that carry out weekly monitoring of all-cause mortality. These preliminary data indicate that the impact of influenza in Europe differs from the recent pandemic and post-pandemic seasons. The current excess mortality among the elderly may be related to the return of influenza A(H3N2) virus, potentially with added effects of a cold snap.
A Mazick, B Gergonne, J Nielsen, F Wuillaume, M J Virtanen, A Fouillet, H Uphoff, T Sideroglou, A Paldy, A Oza, B Nunes, V M Flores-Segovia, C Junker, S A McDonald, H K Green, R Pebody, and K Mølbak.
AbstractIn February and March 2012, excess deaths among the elderly have been observed in 12 European countries that carry out weekly monitoring of all-cause mortality. These preliminary data indicate that the impact of influenza in Europe differs from the recent pandemic and post-pandemic seasons. The current excess mortality among the elderly may be related to the return of influenza A(H3N2) virus, potentially with added effects of a cold snap.