Eurosurveillance
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Since early January 2010, Berlin has been experiencing a measles outbreak with 62 cases as of 31 March. The index case acquired the infection in India. In recent years, measles incidence in Berlin has been lower than the German average and vaccination coverage in school children has increased since 2001. However, this outbreak involves schools and kindergartens with low vaccination coverage and parents with critical attitudes towards vaccination, which makes the implementation of public health interventions challenging.
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Preparedness planning for two large mass gatherings events were considered in Serbia in the context of pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009. Planning included approaches to prevention, detection and response in order to mitigate the situation at this early stage of the epidemic in Serbia. Cases of influenza A(H1N1)v were identified nationally immediately prior to the mass gatherings but also identified in association with both events, as expected in the context of the pandemic situation. This article describes the experiences of planning and the epidemiological situation during the period of the mass gathering events.
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New Zealand, like other southern hemisphere countries with a temperate climate, has been in the winter period with seasonal influenza activity. New Zealand has also experienced a dramatic increase in the number of cases of pandemic influenza A(H1N1)v virus. Early reports from the northern hemisphere at the beginning of the pandemic showed that the virus was sensitive to the antiviral drug oseltamivir. In this study we report that pandemic influenza A(H1N1)v viruses currently circulating in New Zealand are sensitive to oseltamivir, but seasonal influenza A(H1N1) viruses - the co-circulating predominant seasonal strain, is resistant to oseltamivir.