The experts

• a virologist, is Head of Section, Respiratory Viruses, Laboratory for Infectious Diseases and Screening, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands;
• has worked on influenza since 2003;
• normally works on seasonal influenza surveillance and developing diagnostic test kits for respiratory pathogens for the laboratory;
• works on the epidemiology of other viruses and antiviral resistance; and
• is one of the coordinators of the Community Network of Reference Laboratories for Human Influenza in Europe.

The Laboratory for Infectious Diseases and Screening and the Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam comprise the national influenza centre in the Netherlands.

Dr Ciblak:

• is Manager, National Influenza Reference Laboratory Istanbul, Turkey;
• began working in the Laboratory three years ago while studying for a PhD;
• previously worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States of America; and
• normally works on seasonal influenza surveillance with a partner laboratory in Ankara and the Ministry of Health.

Dr Mironenko:

• is Head, Influenza Reference Laboratory, Institute of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Kyiv, Ukraine;
• has held this position for 17 years, and has a background in epidemiology and virology; and
• normally works on influenza, including laboratory investigation by cell culture, influenza virus typing and monitoring influenza activity.

Dr Ellis:

• is Clinical Scientist, National Influenza Centre at the Health Protection Agency, London, United Kingdom;
• has worked as a clinical scientist for 17 years, with a background in microbiology, particularly virology, and in developing laboratory diagnostics for viruses including influenza; and
• oversees the surveillance and diagnosis of influenza virus infections in clinical samples and develops diagnostic tests for influenza.