By email
Ref: 09/10/29/lk/337
Health Protection Agency
Communications
Public Information Access
Mr Gavin Dee
61 Colindale Avenue
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
London
NW9 5EQ
Tel +44 (0)20 8327 6920
Fax +44 (0)20 8327 6633
www.hpa.org.uk
Email: xxx@xxx.xxx.xx
26 November 2009
Dear Mr Dee
Re: H1N1 diagnosis and positive H1N1 laboratory test rates in England
Thank you for your Freedom of Information request dated 29 October 2009 regarding
H1N1 diagnosis and positive H1N1 laboratory test rates in England. Under section 1
(1) (a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I can confirm that we do hold some of
the information you require.
I have responded to your questions in the order you raised them below.
1. Total number of H1N1 influenza cases in England reported by the
UK government in 2009 to date
I can confirm that the total number of laboratory confirmed cases of H1N1 swine is
15886 (as of 13 November 2009). This is different to the estimated number of cases
produced by the statistics unit each week.
2. Number of laboratory tests carried out for suspected H1N1
Influenza in England in 2009 to date
A total of 70,390 tests were carried out up to Tuesday 10 November 2009 in
Regional Microbiology Network Laboratories (RMN) for the H1N1swine virus. An
additional 4284 tests were carried out at the Health Protection Agency’s Centre for
Infections. The HPA does not know how many additional tests may have been
carried out in non RMN labs using commercial kits that are not the Colindale
polymerase chain reaction (method for detecting small fragments of genetic
material). This total figure includes repeat tests on the same patient whereas the
confirmed cases figure above is individuals not tests.
2a. Number of these tests that have proved positive for H1N1 influenza
As of 13 November 2009 the Situation Report number was - 15,886.
2b. Number of these tests that have proved positive for a strain of influenza
other than H1N1
From 01/01/2009 to 23/11/2009, the Respiratory Virus Unit (RVU) Reference
laboratory at Colindale detected the following:-
Influenza strain
Total
B
180
H1 Seasonal
63
H3 617
2c. Number of these tests that have proved negative for any type
of influenza.
The HPA can only provide the number of tests that were not swine flu positive in
RMN labs but not for any type of influenza as requested. The total number of tests
that were negative for swine flu is 53,776. ‘Labbase’ doesn't hold negative data
either.
3. The total number of completed questionnaires submitted to the
National Flu Pandemic Service in England by telephone and via the
www.pandemicflu.direct.gov.uk website since its establishment
The National Pandemic Flu Service is run by the Department of Health and they have
the total number of callers since it began at the end of July.
I can confirm under section 1 (1) (a) of the Freedom of Information Act that the HPA
does not hold this information. In accordance with section 16 -
duty to provide advice
and assistance I would suggest that you contact the Department of Health directly to
gain this info
rmation. http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/FreedomOfInformation/index.htm
As for the number of callers/web users with influenza, the Department of Health are
not testing these individuals so the total number are not known. At the HPA, we are
running a self-sampling scheme, where we are asking a small selection of callers to
swab themselves and we test their samples for swine flu and other influenza viruses.
Up until 12 November 2009, the scheme only approached individuals over 16 for self-
sampling. Sampling has now been extended to include school-age children (5-15
years) but no results are available for that age group.
So far, we have tested 7,142 National Pandemic Flu Service (NPFS) callers/web
users since 3 August 2009; 828 individuals have returned samples that have been
unsuitable for testing. Please note that all individuals tested were authorised
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antivirals and the majority had begun taking their anti-virals before sampling. We are
unsure as to how this may have affected the results.
3a. The total number of these questionnaires that led to a
diagnosis of H1N1 influenza infection
Of the 7,142 samples tested, 1,205 NPFS users have returned samples positive for
H1N1v (17%)
3b. The total number of these questionnaires that led to a
diagnosis of influenza infection of a strain other than H1N1
Of the 7,142 samples tested, 4 callers/web users have returned samples positive for
Seasonal influenza A/H3 (0.06%)
3c. The total number of these questionnaires that did not lead
to a diagnosis of any type of influenza.
Of the 7,142 samples tested, 5,933 callers/web users have returned samples
negative for influenza (83%). A further 828 samples returned were unsuitable for
testing due to contamination.
I hope you have found this information useful, however, if you are dissatisfied with
this response and would like a copy of the HPA complaints procedure then please
contact Mr George Stafford, Complaints Manager at: Health Protection Agency, 61
Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ.
Please note that you have the right to an independent review by the Information
Commissioner’s Office if a complaint cannot be resolved through the HPA complaints
procedure. The Information Commissioner’s Office can be contacted by writing to
Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire
SK9 5AF.
Please contact me if you require any further information or assistance.
Yours sincerely
Leigh Kelly
Freedom of Information Officer
Health Protection Agency
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