Department of Arbovirology, Emerging and Re-emerging Viral Diseases, Uganda Virus Research Institute , Entebbe, Uganda.
Genomics and Bioanalytics, Los Alamos National Laboratory , Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA.
Microbiol Spectr. 2023 Dec 12;11(6):e0132823. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.01328-23. Epub 2023 Oct 9.
Respiratory pathogens cause high rates of morbidity and mortality globally and have high pandemic potential. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, influenza surveillance was significantly interrupted because of resources being diverted to SARS-CoV-2 testing and sequencing. Based on recommendations from the World Health Organization, the Uganda Virus Research Institute, National Influenza Center laboratory integrated SARS-CoV-2 testing and genomic sequencing into the influenza surveillance program. We describe the results of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 testing of samples collected from 16 sentinel surveillance sites located throughout Uganda as well as SARS-CoV-2 testing and sequencing in other health centers. The surveillance system showed that both SARS-CoV-2 and influenza can be monitored in communities at the national level. The integration of SARS-CoV-2 detection and genomic surveillance into the influenza surveillance program will help facilitate the timely release of SARS-CoV-2 information for COVID-19 pandemic mitigation and provide important information regarding the persistent threat of influenza.
呼吸道病原体在全球范围内导致高发病率和死亡率，并且具有很高的大流行潜力。在 SARS-CoV-2 大流行期间，由于资源被转移用于 SARS-CoV-2 检测和测序，流感监测受到了严重干扰。根据世界卫生组织的建议，乌干达病毒研究所、国家流感中心实验室将 SARS-CoV-2 检测和基因组测序纳入流感监测计划。我们描述了从乌干达各地 16 个哨点监测点收集的样本中进行流感和 SARS-CoV-2 检测的结果，以及其他卫生中心进行的 SARS-CoV-2 检测和测序结果。该监测系统表明，可以在国家层面的社区中同时监测 SARS-CoV-2 和流感。将 SARS-CoV-2 检测和基因组监测纳入流感监测计划将有助于及时发布 SARS-CoV-2 信息以减轻 COVID-19 大流行，并提供有关流感持续威胁的重要信息。
