Project GIBS: Global Epidemiology of Influenza B • 2012-2018

GIBS is launched in 2012 and its aim is to collect information on the epidemiology and burden of disease of influenza B in the world during the past 10-15 years, in order to support prevention policies in the coming years. The GIBS is part of the Global Influenza Initiative (GII), an expert scientific forum that aims to address ongoing problems related to influenza worldwide.

Duration: Nov 2014 - Sep 2018

Aim and research questions

The overall aim of GIBS is to assess differences in the epidemiology of influenza B and A worldwide, paying special attention to differences seen between countries in temperate regions compared to the tropics. Specific research questions include:

the global burden of influenza B (overall and compared to influenza A)
the frequency of influenza B vaccination mismatches
the spatiotemporal patterns of influenza B and A in temperate and tropical countries
the age distribution of influenza B and A

Methodology

Over fifty countries in the Northern and Southern hemispheres and the inter-tropical belt were contacted and invited to join the GIBS study from June 2013 to February 2016. All countries were asked to make data available originating from their national influenza surveillance system during recent years (ideally from 2000-2013).

Participating countries

As of December 2018, thirty-one countries around the world had joined the project by providing by providing influenza surveillance data: Argentina (provence of Santa Fe), Australia, Bhutan, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, England, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Italy, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Vietnam. The GIBS database includes 1,850,358 cases of influenza, of which 23.0% are B. Information on age was available for 44% of cases in the database (dated 2018).

Results

We share our research and its results in providing access to the posters, oral presentations and scientific papers on the subject. Go to https://www.nivel.nl/en/international-projects/gibs.

SUB PROJECT: 2016-1018 Work Plan

In 2016-2018 we focus on the preparation of four scientific papers:

Assess the possible link between the timing of influenza activity and global warming: is influenza activity peaking at later date in the Northern Hemisphere, the Southern Hemisphere and Inter-Tropical Belt?
Investigate the epidemiology of influenza A and B (including spatio-temporal patterns of influenza epidemics) in countries of the Northern Africa and Middle East region
Cross-validate the publically available WHO FluNet database with data collected by GIBS using a number of database metrics
State-of-the-art paper on the epidemiology of influenza B: collation of the findings from all of the GIBS studies (2013-2018)

Method

Epidemiological and virological surveillance data from thirty countries around the world.

Result

Four scientific papers and the completion of a PhD at the Free University of Amsterdam (Saverio Caini).

Funding

Sanofi Pasteur SA, France

Project partners

Sanofi Pasteur SA, France

Publications

Caini, S., Schellevis, F., Guerche Séblain, C. el, Paget, J. Important changes in the timing of influenza epidemics in the WHO European Region over the past 20 years: virological surveillance 1996 to 2016. Eurosurveillance: 2018, 23(1)

Caini, S., Spreeuwenberg, P., Donker, G., Korevaar, J., Paget, J. Climatic factors and long-term trends of influenza-like illness rates in The Netherlands, 1970–2016. Environmental Research: 2018, 167, p. 307-313.

Download the PDF

Emukule, G.O., Mott, J.A., Spreeuwenberg, P., Viboud, C., Commanday, A., Muthoka, P., Munywoki, P.K., Nokes, D.J., Velden, K. van der, Paget, W.J. Influenza activity in Kenya, 2007–2013: timing, association with climatic factors, and implications for vaccination campaigns. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses: 2016, 10(5), p. 375-385.

Caini, S., El-Guerche Séblain, C., Ciblak, M.A., Paget, J. Epidemiology of seasonal influenza in the Middle East and North Africa regions, 2010-2016: Circulating influenza A and B viruses and spatial timing of epidemics. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses: 2018, 12(3), p. 344-352.

Caini, S., Spreeuwenberg, P., Kusznierz, G.F., Rudi, J.M., Owen, R., Pennington, K., Wangchuk, S., Gyeltshen, S., Ferreira de Almeida, W.A., Henriques, C.M.P., Njouom, R., Vernet, M.A., Fasce, R.A., Andrade, W., Yu, H., Feng, L., Yang, J., Peng, Z., Lara, J., Bruno, A., Mora, D. de, Lozano, C. de, Zambon, M., Pebody, R., Castillo, L., Clara, A.W., Matute, M.L., Kosasih, H., Nurhayati, Puzelli, S., Rizzo, C., Kadjo, H.A., Daouda, C., Kiyanbekova, L., Ospanova, A., Mott, J.A., Emukule, G.O., Heraud, J.M., Razanajatovo, N.H., Barakat, A., Falaki, F. el, Huang, S.Q., Lopez, L., Balmaseda, A., Moreno, B., Rodrigues, A.P., Guiomar, R., Ang, L.W., Lee, V.J.M., Venter, M., Cohen, C., Badur, S., Ciblak, M.A., Mironenko, A., Holubka, O., Bresee, J., Brammer, L., Hoang, P.V.M., Le, M.T.Q., Fleming, D., Guerche Séblain, C. el, Schellevis, F., Paget, J. Distribution of influenza virus types by age using case-based global surveillance data from twenty-nine countries, 1999-2014. BMC Infectious Diseases: 2018, 18, p. 269.

Caini, S., Alonso, W.J., El-Guerche Séblain, C., Schellevis, F., Paget, J. Authors’ reply: geographic resolution of surveillance data and influenza prevention in large countries. Eurosurveillance: 2017, 22(40)

Caini, S., Alonso, W.J., El-Guerche Séblain, C., Schellevis, F., Paget, J. The spatiotemporal characteristics of influenza A and B in the WHO European Region: can one define influenza transmission zones in Europe? Eurosurveillance: 2017, 22(35), p. 30606.

Caini, S., Alonso, W.J., Balmaseda, A., Bruno, A., Busto, P., Castillo, L., Lozano, C. de, Mora, D. de, Fasce, R. A., Ferreira de Almeida, W.A., Kusznierz, G.F., Lara, J., Matute, M.L., Moreno, B., Pessanha Henriques, C.M., Rudi, J.M., El-Guerche Séblain, C., Schellevis, F., Paget, J. Characteristics of seasonal influenza A and B in Latin America: influenza surveillance data from ten countries. PLoS One: 2017, 12(3), p. e0174592.

Guerche Séblain, C. el, Caini, S., Paget, J., Vanhems, P., Schellevis, F. Epidemiology and timing of seasonal influenza epidemics in the Asia-Pacific region, 2010-2017: implications for influenza vaccination programs. BMC Public Health: 2019, 19(331)

Caini, S., Mora, D. de, Olmedo, M., Portugal, D., Becerra, M.A., Mejía, M., Pacurucu, M.C., Ojeda, J., Bonaccorsi, G., Lorini, C., Paget, J., Bruno, A. The epidemiology and severity of respiratory viral infections in atropical country: Ecuador, 2009–2016. Journal of Infection and Public Health: 2019, 12(3), p. 357-363.

Caini, S., Paget, J. Letter to the Editor (reply to Souty C et al.): the causes of long‐term trends in the epidemiology of influenza. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses: 2019

News

Nivel-influenza

Important changes in the timing of influenza epidemics in Western and Eastern Europe

Bekijk ook

Dossier Epidemiology of Respiratory Viruses