Update 27th July 2009

As of 5pm Sunday July 26th there have been a total of 205 confirmed and reported cases of Influenza A(H1N1). This includes 28 cases of in-country transmission. There have been no deaths. HSE advice on infection prevention, Tamiflu prescription and caring for yourself and others while ill remains unchanged.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) report that, as of July 26th, there has been a cumulative total of 20,512 reported and confirmed cases in the European Union and European Free Trade Area. There have been no new deaths. However, as noted in previous updates, the actual number of cases is likely to be higher than 20,512 as many countries have ceased to laboratory test and count cases.

Globally, there have been 160,038 confirmed and reported cases and 991 deaths. As with the European figures, the actual number of cases of Influenza A(H1N1) is likely to be much higher.

In the United States, the Centre for Disease Control has announced that it will no longer report the number of confirmed and probable cases as these cases only represent a small proportion of the total number of cases. They will produce a weekly report of the number of hospitalisations and deaths. They will also continue to track the progress of the outbreak using traditional surveillance systems.

In the United Kingdom, health authorities have appealed for calm as they fear that panic over the current pandemic is leading to an unneccessary and unsustainable burden on health systems. They remind the public that Influenza A(H1N1) remains a mild strain of influenza, on par with seasonal flu, and that most people will recover without the need for medical attention.