• Clara Estela Savón Valdés, Belsy Acosta Herrera, Alexander Piñón Ramos, Odalys Valdés Ramírez, Suset Isabel Oropesa Fernández, Grehete González Muñoz, Amely Arencibia García, Elías Quilarte García, Guelsys González Baez, Bárbara Hernández Espinosa, Angel Goyenechea Hernández, Alina Llop Hernández, and María Guadalupe Guzmán Tirado.
• Departamento de Virología, IPK, La Habana, Cuba. clara@ipk.sld.cu
• Rev Cubana Med Trop. 2011 Jan 1; 63 (1): 30-7.

IntroductionOn April 2009, the Mexican health authorities reported increased hospitalization indexes caused by pneumonia with high mortality rates to the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). The National Epidemiological Surveillance System of Mexico noticed that this increase mainly occurred in the 20-40 year old population. A new type of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus was identified by laboratory studies as the etiological agent of the first pandemic of the 21st century. On April 26 2009, the National Anti-pandemic Plan was activated by the Cuban Ministry of Public Health, and on May 7th, the lab-confirmed index case appeared. An integrated surveillance system with laboratory confirmation was set up.ObjectivesTo detect pandemic influenza virus during the pandemic wave.MethodsThe epidemiological weeks 37 to 41 witnessed a rise of the number of sick people seen by the medical services. In this period, the samples taken from patients clinically diagnosed with severe acute respiratory infection were selected for this analysis; they were divided into three groups, that is, 370 children and adults in critical condition, 55 pregnant women in severe condition and 30 fatal cases. The diagnosis of the pandemic virus was performed by Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Test (PCR). Other respiratory viruses were tested by conventional PCR.ResultsThe pandemic influenza virus was detected in 65 children and adults, 20 pregnant women and 9 fatal cases. The seasonal influenza A (H3N2) virus was identified in 81 cases of severe acute respiratory infection covering all age groups, 10 pregnant women and 5 deceased on the basis of real time polymerase chain reaction test. Other respiratory viruses were also monitored by the end-point polymerase chain reaction.ConclusionsThe comprehensive analysis of these results contributes to the national and regional surveillance of respiratory viruses for the improvement of the prevention and control programs of the acute respiratory infections.

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