Publications

During Epiweek 46, 26 countries in the WHO African region (WHO AFR) contributed virological data for analysis - Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. During week 46, 1,624 specimens were collected and 1,571 were tested for influenza.

In Epiweek 46, 171 specimens tested positive for influenza virus (positivity of 10.9%), of which 91 specimens were Influenza A, and 80 specimens were Influenza B. The following influenza viruses were identified: Influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 (n = 31), Influenza A (H3) (n = 60), Influenza B (lineage not determined) (n = 15), and Influenza B (Victoria) (n = 65).

SARS-CoV-2
In Epiweek 46, of the 1,425 specimens processed by 20 laboratories in the African Region, a total of 71 specimens tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (positivity of 5%).

Cumulatively from weeks 1 to 46, the WHO AFR influenza laboratory network has tested 76,482 sentinel surveillance specimens for SARS-CoV-2, of which 4,076 were positive for SARS-CoV-2 (cumulative positivity rate 5.3%).