Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 regional update 22 Dec 2009

The information contained within this update is obtained from data provided by Ministries of Health of Member States and National Influenza Centers through reports sent to Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) or updates on their web pages.

Weekly Summary

- In North America, acute respiratory disease activity continued to decrease and is lower than expected in some areas

- In the Caribbean, all countries reported unchanged and decreasing trends in acute respiratory disease, except Barbados, which reported an increasing trend

- Central America reported decreasing or unchanged trends in acute respiratory disease

- All South American countries reported a decreasing or unchanged trend of acute respiratory disease, except Ecuador which reported an increasing trend

- A median of 99.3% of subtyped influenza A viruses in North America were pandemic (H1N1) 2009

- 335 new confirmed deaths in 10 countries were reported; in total there have been 6,670 cumulative confirmed deaths