Delayed 2009 Pandemic Influenza A Virus Subtype H1N1 Circulation in West Africa, May 2009–April 2010

Ndahwouh Talla Nzussouo (1, 2) , Jennifer Michalove (1) , Ousmane M. Diop (3) , Richard Njouom (4) , Maria de Lourdes Monteiro (5) , Herve Kadjo Adje (6) , Serge Manoncourt (2) , Joseph Amankwa (7) , Lamine Koivogui (8) , Samba Sow (9) , Mohamed Brahim Elkory (10) , Jean-Marc Collard (11) , Ibrahim Dalhatu (12) , Mbayame Ndiaye Niang (3) , Kathryn Lafond (1) , Filomena Moniz (13) , Daouda Coulibaly (14) , Karl C. Kronman (2) , Buhari A. Oyofo (2) , William Ampofo (15) , Boubou Tamboura (9) , Ahmed Ould Bara (10) , Jean-François Jusot (11) , Ekanem Ekanem (12) , Fatoumata Diène Sarr (3) , Inzune Hwang (1) , Claire Cornelius (2) , Babajide Coker (16) , Stephen Lindstrom (1) , Richard Davis (1) , Erica Dueger (1, 2) , Ann Moen (1) , Marc-Alain Widdowson (1)

1 CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [Atlanta]
2 U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit-3
3 Institut Pasteur de Dakar
4 Centre Pasteur du Cameroun
5 Ministry of Health [Cape Verde]
6 Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire
7 Ghana Health Service [Accra, Ghana]
8 Hôpîtal Donka
9 Centre pour le Développement des Vaccins [Mali]
10 Institut National de Recherche en Santé Publique
11 CERMES - Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire (Niamey, Niger)
12 NCDC - Nigeria Centre for Disease Control [Abuja, Nigeria]
13 National Laboratory Network [Praia, Cape Verde]
14 INHP - Institut National d'Hygiène Publique [Côte d'Ivoire]
15 NMIMR - Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research [Accra, Ghana]
16 Federal Ministry of Health

To understand 2009 pandemic influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (A[H1N1]pdm09) circulation in West Africa, we collected influenza surveillance data from ministries of health and influenza laboratories in 10 countries, including Cameroon, from 4 May 2009 through 3 April 2010. A total of 10,203 respiratory specimens were tested, of which 25% were positive for influenza virus. Until the end of December 2009, only 14% of all detected strains were A(H1N1)pdm09, but the frequency increased to 89% from January through 3 April 2010. Five West African countries did not report their first A(H1N1)pdm09 case until 6 months after the emergence of the pandemic in North America, in April 2009. The time from first detection of A(H1N1)pdm09 in a country to the time of A(H1N1)pdm09 predominance varied from 0 to 37 weeks. Seven countries did not report A(H1N1)pdm09 predominance until 2010. Introduction and transmission of A(H1N1)pdm09 were delayed in this region.

Domains: Infectious diseases; Bacteriology; Santé publique et épidémiologie

Ndahwouh Talla Nzussouo, Jennifer Michalove, Ousmane M. Diop, Richard Njouom, Maria de Lourdes Monteiro, et al.. Delayed 2009 Pandemic Influenza A Virus Subtype H1N1 Circulation in West Africa, May 2009–April 2010. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2012, 206 (suppl_1), pp.S101-S107. ⟨10.1093/infdis/jis572⟩. ⟨pasteur-03238564⟩