Research and analysis

Laboratory reports of respiratory infections made to CIDSC from PHE and NHS laboratories in England and Wales: weeks 49 to 52, 2014, and week 1, 2015

Updated 26 January 2015

Data are recorded by week of report, but include only specimens taken in the last 8 weeks (ie recent specimens).

1. Table 1. Reports of influenza infection made to CIDSC, by week of report

Week Week 49 Week 50 Week 51 Week 52 Week 1 (2015) Total
Week ending 7/12/2014 14/12/2014 21/12/2014 28/12/2014 4/1/2015  
Influenza A 57 64 165 269 594 1149
Isolation 3 15 16 39 73 146
DIF * 10 7 19 66 76 178
PCR 42 40 125 153 425 785
Other † 2 2 5 11 20 40
Influenza B 15 8 12 12 24 71
Isolation 1 2 5 1 7 16
DIF * 4 4
PCR 14 6 5 11 13 49
Other † 2 2

* DIF = Direct Immunofluorescence.

† Other = “Antibody detection - single high titre” or “Method not specified”.

2. Table 2. Respiratory viral detections by any method (culture, direct immunofluorescence, PCR, four-fold rise in paired sera, single high serology titre, genomic, electron microscopy, other method, other method unknown), by week of report

Week Week 49 Week 50 Week 51 Week 52 Week 1 (2015) Total
Week ending 7/12/2014 14/12/2014 21/12/2014 28/12/2014 4/1/2015  
Adenovirus* 51 71 78 64 89 353
Coronavirus 4 7 45 35 26 117
Parainfluenza† 84 60 128 58 76 406
Rhinovirus 189 250 423 204 223 1289
RSV 555 687 1094 602 704 3642

* Respiratory samples only.

† Includes parainfluenza types 1, 2, 3, 4 and untyped.

3. Table 3. Respiratory viral detections by age group: weeks 45/2014 to 01/2015

Age group (years) <1 year 1-4 years 5-14 years 15-44 years 45-64 years ≥65 years Unknown Total
Adenovirus * 80 106 61 43 36 22 5 353
Coronavirus 53 33 9 5 6 11 117
Influenza A 107 110 473 356 180 714 8 1948
Influenza B 3 6 11 19 5 8 6 58
Parainfluenza † 134 88 26 49 36 46 27 406
Respiratory syncytial virus 2557 522 125 163 76 179 22 3644
Rhinovirus 542 237 145 136 98 117 14 1289

* Respiratory samples only.

† Includes parainfluenza types 1, 2, 3, 4 and untyped.

4. Table 4. Laboratory reports of infections associated with atypical pneumonia, by week of report

Week Week 49 Week 50 Week 51 Week 52 Week 1 (2015) Total
Week ending 7/12/2014 14/12/2014 21/12/2014 28/12/2014 4/1/2015  
Coxiella burnettii 1 1 2
Respiratory Chlamydia sp.* 1 1 5 1 3 11
Mycoplasma pneumoniae 12 23 17 7 17 76
Legionella sp. 4 3 4 6 17

* Includes Chlamydia psittaci, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Chlamydia sp detected from blood, serum, and respiratory specimens.

5. Table 5. Laboratory reports of Legionnaires Disease cases in England and Wales, by week of report

Week Week 49 Week 50 Week 51 Week 52 Week 1 (2015) Total
Week ending 7/12/2014 14/12/2014 21/12/2014 28/12/2014 4/1/2015  
Nosocomial 0
Community 2 3 4 - 9
Travel abroad 3 1 1 2 7
Travel UK 1 1
Total 4 3 4 6 0 17
Male 2 2 3 4 11
Female 2 1 1 2 6

Seventeen cases were reported with pneumonia. Eleven males aged 43-88 years and six females aged 50-74 years. Nine cases had community-acquired infection.

Eight cases were reported with travel association: Egypt (1), Egypt/Turkey (1), Indonesia/Malaysia (1), Myanmar (Burma) (1), Pakistan (1), Thailand (1), United Arab Emirates (1) and United Kingdom (1).

6. Table 6. Laboratory reports of Legionnaires Disease cases in England and Wales, by PHE Centre: weeks 45/2014 to 01/2015

Region/Country Nosocomial Community Travel Abroad Travel UK Total
North of England          
North East 1 1
Cheshire & Merseyside 1 1
Greater Manchester 0
Cumbria & Lancashire 0
Yorkshire & the Humber 1 1
South of England          
Devon, Cornwall & Somerset 0
Avon, Gloucestershire & Wiltshire 2 2
Wessex 1 1
Thames Valley 2 2
Sussex, Surrey & Kent 1 1
Midlands & East of England          
East Midlands 1 1
South Midlands & Hertfordshire 0
Anglia & Essex 1 1
West Midlands 2 1 3
London Integrated Region          
London 1 1
Public Health Wales          
Mid & West Wales 0
North Wales 0
South East Wales 2 2
Miscellaneous          
Other 0
Not known 0
Total 0 9 7 1 17

This report was published on 25 January 2015 and will be included in Health Protection Report volume 9 issue 4.