December 28, 2001

Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever): England, Finland (Imported from California)
Two cases of coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever, a fungal infection) have been diagnosed in Europe in the past month. The first case was diagnosed in a Finnish man in his mid-50s who developed chills and fever in mid-October, followed by severe respiratory symptoms. The second case, reported to the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (CDSC) in London, England, on 4 December, was diagnosed in a man in his 70s who was admitted to hospital with a 1 week history of profuse night sweats, cough, pyrexia, myalgia, arthralgia, and lethargy. Both patients had attended the World Championships of model aeroplane flying in Lost Hills Valley, in Kern County, California, between 5-14 October 2001. After the championships, both had travelled in California for several days before returning to their home countries. Kern County in California has a high incidence of coccidioidomycosis - surveys have found that approximately 30% of the population have positive serology and are immune. The championship was an international event with competing teams from 30 countries in the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific. Each participating team had up to 11 members. In addition, several spectators may have travelled with each team. Nine Canadians (plus an unknown number of guests) attended the event; to date, none have developed any signs or symptoms of infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with UK CDSC and the California Department of Health Services, is conducting an investigation.
Source: Eurosurveillance Weekly, Issue 50, 13 December 2001; Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol 50, No 49, 14 December 2001; The Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Health Canada

Influenza: Canada
During the period 26 August to 8 December 2001, the Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control has received 8,809 reports of influenza: 10 have tested positive for influenza A and one has tested positive for influenza B. Five of the influenza A isolates have been characterized by the Respiratory Viruses Section at the National Microbiology Laboratory as A/Panama/2007/99 (H3N2)-like virus. The provincial distribution of the influenza A isolates is: British Columbia (one), Alberta (two), Saskachewan (one), Ontario (four), and Quebec (two). The one influenza B isolate is from Ontario.
Source: FluWatch, Week 49 (2 December to 8 December 2001), The Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Health Canada

Influenza: United States
Since 30 September the United States WHO and National Respiratory And Enteric Virus Surveillance System collaborating laboratories have tested 10,474 specimens for influenza viruses and 99 (0.9%) were positive. Of the 99 isolates identified, 96 (97%) were influenza A viruses and 3 (4%) were influenza B viruses. Sixty-five (68%) of the 96 influenza A viruses identified have been subtyped; 64 were influenza A (H3N2) viruses and one was an influenza A (H1N1) virus. CDC antigenically characterized 10 influenza viruses collected in September and 13 collected in October: 20 influenza A (H3N2) viruses, two influenza A (H1N1) viruses, and one influenza B virus. All viruses were similar to the vaccine strains A/Panama/2007/99 (H3N2), A/New Caledonia/ 20/99 (H1N1), and B/Sichuan/379/99, respectively.
Source: Influenza Summary Update, Centres for Disease Control

Influenza: Hong Kong
The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Department of Health has tested 1868 specimens for influenza virus in October and November: three were subtyped influenza A (H3N2) viruses, 22 were subtyped influenza A (H1N1), and 21 were influenza B viruses. The influenza A (H3N2) virus isolated was A/Sydney/5/97, Moscow/10/99, Panama/2007/99-like virus; the influenza A (H1N1) virus isolated was A/New Caledonia/20/99-like virus, and the influenza B virus isolated was B/Sichuan/379/99-like virus.
Source: Influenza Surveillance, Influenza Virus Isolations 2001 - The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Department of Health

Please Note: There will be no issue the week of December 28, 2001

The details given are for information only and may be very provisional. Where incidents are considered of national importance and are ongoing, the initial report will be updated as new information becomes available.