Estimation of the size of influenza epidemic in the WHO European Region

This study aims to estimate the magnitude of the influenza epidemic in WHO European countries and territories. The wavelengths of these countries were compared based on the number of influenza cases, including subtypes A and B. The epidemiological wavelength method was used to assess the outbreak's magnitude, considering factors like population density, human development index, case count, and the number of days since the first case was recorded. The UK, England, had the highest wavelength scores (We) in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Conversely, Azerbaijan had the lowest wavelength scores (We) in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The average wavelength score for WHO European countries and territories reached its peak in 2023, with the lowest score in 2022 at 13.44 We. The study suggests that the epidemiological wavelength method can be used to estimate outbreak size, providing a clearer and more reliable cross-sectional image of the epidemic.