Journal article
Seroprevalence of 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus in Australian blood donors, October - December 2009.
J McVernon, K Laurie, T Nolan, R Owen, D Irving, H Capper, C Hyland, H Faddy, L Carolan, I Barr, A Kelso
Euro surveillance : bulletin européen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin | Published : 2010
Open access
Abstract
Assessment of the severity of disease due to the 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) in Australian states and territories has been hampered by the absence of denominator data on population exposure. We compared antibody reactivity to the pandemic virus using haemagglutination inhibition assays performed on plasma specimens taken from healthy adult blood donors (older than 16 years) before and after the influenza pandemic that occurred during the southern hemisphere winter. Pre-influenza season samples (April - May 2009, n=496) were taken from donation collection centres in North Queensland (in Cairns and Townsville); post-outbreak specimens (October - November 2009, n=779) were from donors at se..
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Funding Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (the Blood Service) and the Australian Government, which fully fund the Blood Service for the provision of blood products and services to the Australian community. We also wish to thank the donors and staff of the Blood Service, who have assisted in provision of specimens for testing in this protocol, as well as the staff at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza in Melbourne, Australia. We are particularly grateful to Dr Dora Pearce for her assistance with figures.This study was funded by the Office of Health Protection, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, and the Department of Health and Human Services, Tasmania. The Melbourne WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza is supported by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Dr Jodie McVernon is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.