Research and analysis

Reports of respiratory infections made to PHE from PHE and NHS laboratories in England and Wales: weeks 1 to 4, 2018

Updated 4 January 2019

© Crown copyright 2019

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/respiratory-infections-laboratory-reports-2018/reports-of-respiratory-infections-made-to-phe-from-phe-and-nhs-laboratories-in-england-and-wales-weeks-1-to-4-2018

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

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

Week Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Total
Week ending 7/1/2018 14/1/2018 21/1/2018 28/1/2018  
Influenza A 1170 1636 1397 1494 5697
Isolation 134 109 108 108 459
DIF * 121 39 117 83 360
PCR 768 1301 1058 1171 4298
Other † 147 187 114 132 580
Influenza B 1502 2019 1901 2172 7594
Isolation 250 261 292 229 1032
DIF * 132 99 137 117 485
PCR 1009 1500 1319 1691 5519
Other † 111 159 153 135 558

* DIF = Direct Immunofluorescence.

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

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 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Total
Week ending 7/1/2018 14/1/2018 21/1/2018 28/1/2018  
Adenovirus* 108 128 107 174 517
Coronavirus 164 162 138 137 601
Parainfluenza† 117 141 108 131 497
Rhinovirus 394 453 339 487 1673
RSV 658 634 424 429 2145

* Respiratory samples only.

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

Table 3. Respiratory viral detections by age group: weeks 1 to 4, 2018

Age group (years) <1 year 1-4 years 5-14 years 15-44 years 45-64 years ≥65 years Unknown Total
Adenovirus * 89 164 56 97 58 52 1 517
Coronavirus 102 60 35 69 102 230 3 601
Influenza A 134 332 173 1053 1131 2959 13 5795
Influenza B 93 242 320 1456 1941 4629 5 8686
Parainfluenza † 53 64 42 53 95 190 – 497
Respiratory syncytial virus 780 200 35 126 266 738 1 2146
Rhinovirus 377 292 91 243 230 438 2 1673

* Respiratory samples only.

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

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

Week Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Total
Week ending 7/1/2018 14/1/2018 21/1/2018 28/1/2018  
Coxiella burnettii 1 3 4 – 8
Respiratory Chlamydia sp.* 8 2 5 1 16
Mycoplasma pneumoniae 18 22 14 9 63

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

Legionnaires Disease cases in England and Wales

The first monthly report of 2018 (January data) for Legionnaires’ Disease will be linked to this page after publication.

This report is published on 2 February 2018.

Back to top