The Epidemiological Situation of Influenza in the World and Russia in the Season 2014 – 2015

Comparison of spatial-temporal spread of influenza in the Northern and southern hemispheres according to the WHO and the analysis of the epidemic of influenza in Russia in the 2014 – 2015 season, according to the research Institute of influenza on the incidence of influenza and ARI in 59 cities of Russia.It is shown that in the season 2014 – 2015 in the Northern hemisphere, the intensity of the epidemics was higher in North America and Europe than East Asia and North Africa. In the Southern hemisphere have experienced low influenza activity. In the etiology of epidemics in countries of both hemispheres was dominated by influenza A(H3N2) and influenza B. The proportion of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was less in the Southern hemisphere was higher than in Northern countries. The incidence of influenza A(H3N2) in the Northern hemisphere was predominantly linked to the new strain A/Switzerland/9715293/2013 (H3N2), differing from the vaccine. In Europe, the majority of circulating influenza B strains were related to the strain B/Phuket/3073/2013, did not match the vaccine.In Russia the intensity of the influenza epidemic in 2015, was more than the previous epidemic of 2014, the prevalence in the cities, the morbidity especially children 7 – 14 years of age and adult population, the incidence of hospitalization with a diagnosis of «influenza» and the number of deaths.