Italian influenza surveillance network: Results of the first year of activity

The spread of influenza is of major public health concern. Community based clinical morbidity data constitute an excellent predictor of when the peak of influenza virus activity will be reached. Surveillance programmes exist in many countries [1, 2]. A voluntary system for the surveillance of acute respiratory infection (ARI) and influenza was established in Italy in 1996. The surveillance is based on a sentinel network of general practitioners (GPs) and pediatricians (Ps) for the collection of clinical data and a network of virological laboratories. The physicians report to the Istituto di Virologia on a weekly basis.