Seasonal influenza virus strains circulating in Malaysia from 2005 to 2009.

From 2005 to 2009, the Institute for Medical Research (IMR), Kuala Lumpur received a total of 7,117 respiratory specimens from patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) for influenza screening Seasonal influenza virus was isolated from 17 3% of patients with ILI in 2005, 31 6% in 2006, 12 8% in 2007, 10 2% m 2008 and 13 5% in 2009 There were one or more influenza A and B virus strains circulating in Malaysia throughout the year, with distinctly a peak m May to August The predominant circulating strains of seasonal influenza A were A/California/7/2004-like (H3N2) in 2005, A/New Caledonia/20/9-like (H1N1) in 2006, A/Brisbane/10/2007-like (H3N2) in 2007 and 2008, and A/Perth/16/2009-like (H3N2) virus m 2009 The predominant circulating strains of influenza B were B/Hong Kong/330/2001-like in 2005, B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like in 2006, B/Florida/4/2006-like in 2007 and 2008, and B/Brisbane/60/2008-like in 2009