title: Laboratory surveillance during pandemic influenza season 2009/2010 in Republic of Macedonia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide virological and epidemiological information on patients laboratory-tested for influenza A/ H1N1pdm during the pandemic season April 2009/May 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographic and other data were obtained from the request form arriving with the samples of patients whose symptoms met the clinical definition of influenza A infection. The RNA was tested for the presence of influenza virus using the CDC real-time RT-PCR assay. A total of 3010 suspect patients (pts) were tested from week 18 2009 to week 20 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1632 pts (54.2%) were oositive for influenza. From them 1556 samples were confirmed as H1N1pdm. There was a domination of H1N1pdm positivity among young persons in age groups 5-17 (34.4%) and 18-49 (31.4%) years. The pandemic influenza was presented in two waves. The first wave started on 20 June with the first positive case and peaked early in August (week 32). The second wave started from week 44. The majority of positive cases were between week 45 and week 52. 37.7% of the positive pts were hospitalized--66.7% of pts at age 65+ and 63.3% of children in the age group 0-4 years. The highest percentage of patients with underlying medical conditions were in the age group 50-64 (49.35%) years and 65+ (88.23%) years. 1.15% of the positive pts for H1N1pdm gave data for vaccination with seasonal influenza.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data obtained from laboratory and epidemiological surveillance of pandemic influenza will serve public health to a full understanding of the pandemic 2009/2010 influenza in R. Macedonia and dealing with future challenges.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health of R. Macedonia, Skopje, R. Macedonia.
authors.forename: Golubinka
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bosevska
authors.forename: Elizabeta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Janceska
authors.forename: Shaban
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Memeti
authors.forename: Gordana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kuzmanovska
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mikik
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kondova Topuzovska
authors.forename: Nikola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Panovski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058873:Pandemics / Q000517:prevention & control; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018843:Republic of North Macedonia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012621:Seasons; D013997:Time Factors; D014611:Vaccination; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D012367:RNA, Viral