Michael G Baker, Craig N Thornley, Clair Mills, Sally Roberts, Shanika Perera, Julia Peters et al
Baker M G, Thornley C N, Mills C, Roberts S, Perera S, Peters J et al.
Transmission of pandemic A/H1N1 2009 influenza on passenger aircraft: retrospective cohort study
BMJ 2010; 340 :c2424
doi:10.1136/bmj.c2424
Iran's epidemic H1N1 2009/2010
In April 2009, the first case of influenza H1N1 was detected in
Mexico. By November 2009, worldwide more than 199 countries reported over
482,300 laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1, including
at least 6,071 deaths [1]. Iran suffered a substantial epidemic in
2009/2010; however, the public health community seems to have little
knowledge about its experience.
After the declaration of a swine flu pandemic by WHO, Iran launched a
surveillance system to test all suspected cases. The Ministry of Health in
Iran reported the country's first confirmed case of H1N1 swine flu, in a
16 year-old Iranian boy who lived in the USA and visited Iran in June
2009. From June 1st to November 11th 2009, Iranian laboratories confirmed
2,662 cases (75% were 5-40 years-old), and 58 patients died, Thirty three
were pregnant women [2]. By 11th November 2009, WHO reported only 22
deaths in Iran, but by 17th January 2010, raised this estimation to 140
deaths [1].
Simultaneously with Iran's epidemic, neighboring countries
experienced this infectious disease. By 11th November 2009, WHO'S office
in Iraq reported 1,620 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza H1N1, 479
in multinational forces and, 9 deaths. By 17th January 2010, WHO reported
2,964 confirmed cases, 633 in multinational forces, and 42 deaths [1].
By 19th January 2010, Turkey reported 13,111 confirmed cases and 627
deaths [3].
By 10th February 2010, WHO-CSR/MOPH-DEWS in Afghanistan reported 953
confirmed cases including 17 deaths [4].
United Arab Emirates reported 908 laboratory confirmed cases and 26 deaths
[5].
In conclusion, Iran such as other countries in the region suffered a
substantial H1N1 epidemic that began within two months after its initial
recognition in Mexico.
The rapid worldwide spread can be attributed to the vast number of people
travelling especially large number of Iranians.
References
1. Influenza A H1N1 SitRep- Iraq;
http://www.emro.who.int/iraq/pdf/h1n1_11_11_09.pdf, accessed 23 June 2011.
http://www.emro.who.int/iraq/pdf/h1n1_17_1_010.pdf, accessed 23 June
2011.
2. Mohammad Mehdi Gooya, Mahmoud Soroush, Talat Mokhtari-Azad,
Kamran B. Lankarani, et al. Influenza A(H1N1) pandemic in Iran: Report of
first confirmed cases from June to November 2009, Arch Iran Med 2010;
13(2): 91-98
3. Mustafa Bakir, Pandemic Influenza situation update in Turkey, J
Infect Dev Ctries 2010; 4(2):124-125
4. WHO?CSR/MOPH?DEWS,
http://www.afghan-web.com/health/h1n1_update_feb102010.pdf, accessed 23
June 2011.
5. Gulfaraz, Khan, Jamal AL Mutawa, et al, Pandemic (H1N1), 2009, Abu
Dhabi, Unied Arab Emirates, emerging infectious disease. Vol. 17, 2,
February 2011.
Competing interests: No competing interests