Abstract
This study observed influenza activity between June 2009 and July 2014 in Thailand, a country in the Northern hemisphere with a tropical climate, and compared the results to activity in the United States (US) and Australia, which represent temperate climates in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, respectively. From Thailand, a total of 17,416 specimens were collected from patients exhibiting influenza-like illnesses and subjected to real-time PCR for the detection of influenza viruses. For comparison, laboratory confirmations of influenza originating from the US and Australia were obtained from the US CDC’s FluView surveillance reports and the Australian Government’s Department of Health and Ageing websites. We found that, generally, the influenza season in Thailand starts with the rainy season. This observation of influenza’s annual incidence pattern provides a better understanding of its occurrence, suggesting that vaccination campaigns should be started before the influenza season begins in order to reduce transmission.
Highlights
In the last decade, the Kingdom of Thailand has rapidly evolved in terms of influenza control and pandemic influenza preparedness
We observed that seasonal, pre-pandemic A(H1N1) disappeared from our survey after 2011, though it was responsible for a small number of influenza A positives in 2009 and 2010
We chose to compare Thailand against the United States (US) and Australia because those countries represent temperate Northern and Southern hemisphere climates, respectively, while Thailand is a tropical Northern hemisphere country that is relatively close to the equator
Summary
The Kingdom of Thailand has rapidly evolved in terms of influenza control and pandemic influenza preparedness. Between 2004 and 2006, Thailand recorded 3 more rounds of H5N1 outbreaks in humans before government interventions contained the problem by 2007 (The Second National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza and Preparedness for Influenza Pandemic (B.E. 2551– 2553) (A.D. 2008–2010) 2007). Influenza A(H1N1)pdm, for example, was a novel, reassortant strain estimated to have caused between 151,700 and 575,400 human deaths in its first 12 months, with over half occurring in Africa and Southeast Asia (Dawood et al 2012). Based on these experiences and others, the government of Thailand is convinced that influenza represents a major threat to both public health and national security. Since 2004, influenza has been the focus of public health interventions in Thailand
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
