Abstract
Influenza surveillance provides information on virus activity and is necessary for the selection of vaccine strains and early warning. To improve this surveillance in Poland, a sentinel surveillance system was introduced in 2004-5 influenza season (SENTINEL). This paper presents results from SENTINEL during three seasons of its existence. Voivodship Sanitary-Epidemiological Stations (VSESs), physicians and the National Influenza Center (NIC) participate in SENTINEL. Laboratory course was performed by the NIC for VSESs. Stations were provided with procedures, report forms, etc. Physicians register number of influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and collect swabs. VSESs perform diagnostic tests. On the basis of information from VSESs, the NIC prepares weekly reports for the entire country. In 2004-5 epidemiological reports were received from 50% of VSESs, while in 2005-6 and 2006-7 from all VSESs. Virological reports were obtained from 37.5% of VSESs (2004-5), 75% (2005-6) and 94% (2006-7). Weekly number of reporting physicians ranged in three consecutive seasons from 165 to 219, 98 to 949 and 696 to 1,054. A total of 399 specimens were tested during the 2004-5 winter; 63 (16%) were positive for influenza and 21 (5%) for other respiratory viruses. In 2005-6, 949 specimens were tested. Influenza infections were confirmed in 47 cases (5%) and infections with other respiratory viruses in 36 cases (4%). A total of 1,195 specimens were tested during the 2006-7 winter; 37 (3%) were positive for influenza and 26 (2%) for other respiratory viruses. SENTINEL provided improvement of influenza surveillance when compared with seasons before 2004. Nevertheless, due to decreasing rate of positive specimens, virological surveillance is the most important part to improve in the next years.
Highlights
Influenza surveillance provides useful information on current influenza activity, including two types of data, i.e. epidemiological information, such as influenza incidence, mortality rates, hospitalization rates and virological information as types/subtypes of circulating influenza viruses and their antigenic and/or genetic characteristics
There were three reasons that made Poland impossible to be a full member of European Influenza Surveillance Scheme (EISS): virological surveillance was not nationally/regionally representative (EISS membership criterion no. 1); epidemiological surveillance was not integrated with virological surveillance; and data were not delivered on a weekly basis [4]
The Chief Sanitary Inspectorate played a significant role in including Voivodship Sanitary-Epidemiological Stations (VSESs) into SENTINEL, as the National Influenza Center (NIC) has no appropriate entitlements with reference to VSESs
Summary
Influenza surveillance provides useful information on current influenza activity, including two types of data, i.e. epidemiological information, such as influenza incidence, mortality rates, hospitalization rates and virological information as types/subtypes of circulating influenza viruses and their antigenic and/or genetic characteristics. The general aim of EISS is to contribute to a reduction in influenza morbidity and mortality, and the main objectives are: the collection and exchange of timely information on influenza activity in Europe; the aggregation, interpretation and making available of epidemiological and virological data regarding influenza in Europe; the strengthening and harmonizing of the methods used for the assessment of influenza activity; the contribution to the selection of influenza vaccine strains; the monitoring of influenza prevention and control policies in Europe; the contribution to pandemic preparedness planning; the promotion of research; and the operation of a Community Network of National Reference Laboratories for Human Influenza in Europe [4]. There were three reasons that made Poland impossible to be a full member of EISS: virological surveillance was not nationally/regionally representative (EISS membership criterion no. 1); epidemiological surveillance was not integrated with virological surveillance (criterion no. 3); and data were not delivered on a weekly basis (criterion no. 5) [4]
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