Virological surveillance in Africa can contribute to early detection of new genetic and antigenic lineages of influenza viruses
Introduction: In Africa, the burden of influenza is largely unknown since surveillance schemes exist in very few countries. The National Institute of Hygiene in Morocco implemented a sentinel network for influenza surveillance in 1996. Methodology: Epidemiological and virological surveillances we...
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The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
2010-09-01
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| Series: | Journal of Infection in Developing Countries |
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| Online Access: | https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/1065 |
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| author | Amal Barakat Abdelaziz Benjouad Jean-Claude Manuguerra Rajae El Aouad Sylvie van der Werf |
| author_facet | Amal Barakat Abdelaziz Benjouad Jean-Claude Manuguerra Rajae El Aouad Sylvie van der Werf |
| author_sort | Amal Barakat |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Introduction: In Africa, the burden of influenza is largely unknown since surveillance schemes exist in very few countries. The National Institute of Hygiene in Morocco implemented a sentinel network for influenza surveillance in 1996.
Methodology: Epidemiological and virological surveillances were established and influenza viruses circulating in Morocco were characterised. Four practice-specific indicators were collected during the 1996-1997 season and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from patients with an influenza-like illness during a three-year period (between 1996 and1998). Laboratory diagnosis was done by viral isolation. The isolates were characterized by hemagglutination- and neuraminidase-inhibition assays and by sequencing the hemagglutinin gene and phylogenetic analysis.
Results: Among a total of 673 specimens, 107 (16%) were positive for influenza virus. Seasonal influenza strains were isolated from November to February. Antigenically, A(H1N1), A(H3N2) and B isolates were related to the vaccine strains. Genetically, one 1996/97 isolate A/Rabat/33/96 and the 1997/98 A(H3N2) isolates clustered with the new drift variant A/Sydney/5/97, a vaccine component of the 1998/99 season.
Conclusions: These results indicate a seasonal circulation of influenza in Morocco concentrated between November and February. Further, the results demonstrate the importance of including the maximum number of countries in influenza surveillance to contribute to the definition of the influenza vaccine composition.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-34df78dceffd4cfb91a1555687b72125 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1972-2680 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2010-09-01 |
| publisher | The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Infection in Developing Countries |
| spelling | doaj-art-34df78dceffd4cfb91a1555687b721252025-08-20T02:57:21ZengThe Journal of Infection in Developing CountriesJournal of Infection in Developing Countries1972-26802010-09-0150410.3855/jidc.1065Virological surveillance in Africa can contribute to early detection of new genetic and antigenic lineages of influenza virusesAmal Barakat0Abdelaziz Benjouad1Jean-Claude Manuguerra2Rajae El Aouad3Sylvie van der Werf4Centre National de Référence de la grippe (Maroc), Institut National d'Hygiène, Rabat, MoroccoUniversity Mohammed V-Agdal, Rabat, MoroccoCellule d’Intervention Biologique d’Urgence, Institut Pasteur, Paris, FranceCentre National de Référence de la grippe (Maroc), Institut National d'Hygiène, Rabat, MoroccoUnité de Génétique Moléculaire des Virus Respiratoires, URA 1966 CNRS, Centre National de Référence de la Grippe (France-Nord), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France Introduction: In Africa, the burden of influenza is largely unknown since surveillance schemes exist in very few countries. The National Institute of Hygiene in Morocco implemented a sentinel network for influenza surveillance in 1996. Methodology: Epidemiological and virological surveillances were established and influenza viruses circulating in Morocco were characterised. Four practice-specific indicators were collected during the 1996-1997 season and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from patients with an influenza-like illness during a three-year period (between 1996 and1998). Laboratory diagnosis was done by viral isolation. The isolates were characterized by hemagglutination- and neuraminidase-inhibition assays and by sequencing the hemagglutinin gene and phylogenetic analysis. Results: Among a total of 673 specimens, 107 (16%) were positive for influenza virus. Seasonal influenza strains were isolated from November to February. Antigenically, A(H1N1), A(H3N2) and B isolates were related to the vaccine strains. Genetically, one 1996/97 isolate A/Rabat/33/96 and the 1997/98 A(H3N2) isolates clustered with the new drift variant A/Sydney/5/97, a vaccine component of the 1998/99 season. Conclusions: These results indicate a seasonal circulation of influenza in Morocco concentrated between November and February. Further, the results demonstrate the importance of including the maximum number of countries in influenza surveillance to contribute to the definition of the influenza vaccine composition. https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/1065Influenza AInfluenza BVirus isolationmolecular characterizationMorocco |
| spellingShingle | Amal Barakat Abdelaziz Benjouad Jean-Claude Manuguerra Rajae El Aouad Sylvie van der Werf Virological surveillance in Africa can contribute to early detection of new genetic and antigenic lineages of influenza viruses Journal of Infection in Developing Countries Influenza A Influenza B Virus isolation molecular characterization Morocco |
| title | Virological surveillance in Africa can contribute to early detection of new genetic and antigenic lineages of influenza viruses |
| title_full | Virological surveillance in Africa can contribute to early detection of new genetic and antigenic lineages of influenza viruses |
| title_fullStr | Virological surveillance in Africa can contribute to early detection of new genetic and antigenic lineages of influenza viruses |
| title_full_unstemmed | Virological surveillance in Africa can contribute to early detection of new genetic and antigenic lineages of influenza viruses |
| title_short | Virological surveillance in Africa can contribute to early detection of new genetic and antigenic lineages of influenza viruses |
| title_sort | virological surveillance in africa can contribute to early detection of new genetic and antigenic lineages of influenza viruses |
| topic | Influenza A Influenza B Virus isolation molecular characterization Morocco |
| url | https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/1065 |
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