The end of the pandemic – what will be the pattern of influenza in the 2010-11 European winter and beyond?

摘要

On 10 August 2010 Margaret Chan, the Director-Generalof the World Health Organization (WHO), announcedthat the world has moved into the post-pandemic period[1]. Following the advice of the Emergency Committee,which based its assessment on the global situation,WHO declared that there has been a pandemic phasechange and that the WHO post-pandemic definition,‘Levels of influenza activity have returned to the lev-els seen for inter-pandemic influenza in most countrieswith adequate surveillance’, has been met [2]. In orderto come to this conclusion it has been important toobserve the pattern of influenza in the southern hemi-sphere temperate countries which are now experienc-ing their winter. What does this mean for the 2010-11winter in Europe and winters beyond.