Epidemiology of influenza A (H1N1) worldwide and in Spain

On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization declared an established pandemic due to a new influenza virus A (H1N1) of swine origin. Initial cases were detected in Mexico in March and within 6 weeks the virus had spread worldwide.The transmissibility of influenza A (H1NA) is slightly higher than that of the seasonal virus, but its pathogenicity and virulence are low. The main target groups of this new virus have been children and young adults under 30 years old. Mortality has affected mainly persons aged between 20 and 50 years old. In areas with temperate climates, two epidemic waves have occurred. The first one, from mid-April to mid-August, affected Mexico, the United States and, consecutively, Spain, England, Japan, and other countries in the northern hemisphere. A few weeks later, coinciding with the beginning of the influenza season, the H1N1 epidemic started in the southern hemisphere countries, especially Argentina, Chile, Australia and New Zealand; in these countries, the epidemic finished at the end of September or October.The second wave affected the northern hemisphere, starting in the United States and Mexico at the beginning of September, and a few weeks later in European countries. In mid-December, this wave was considered to have ended, although some influenza activity persists. The intensity of this second wave was higher compared to the first one. © 2010 Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica.