Early outcomes of pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009 surveillance in Abu Dhabi Emirate, May–August 2009

Soon after the initial detection of cases of pandemic H1N1 infection in Mexico, a new H1N1 surveillance system was set up in Abu Dhabi Emirate in May 2009. This paper reports on the outbreak from May to August 2009. A total of 356 cases were confirmed from 20 May 2009 to 16 August 2009. The incidence of confirmed H1N1 cases was 18.5 per 100 000. Their ages ranged from 1 month to 62 years, with a median age of 20 years. The incidence was 18.6 per 100 000 among both males and females. The incidence among United Arab Emirates nationals was higher than expatriates (66.6 versus 5.2 per 100 000). No death attributable to H1N1 was reported. A low-grade H1N1 infection evolved in the Emirate with an incidence lower than some other countries, possibly because of the pandemic being in the early stages, perhaps coupled with under-reporting.