In February, a WHO technical advisory mission to strengthen national capacity in the field of influenza virus sequencing with the participation of Artem Fadeev, a consultant for the Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization (WHO/Europe), visited Turkmenistan.

During the mission, the Virological Reference Laboratory (VRL) of the Center for Public Health and Nutrition of the State Service for Health and Nutrition of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of the Ministry of Health and Agriculture conducted a training on the use of the Next-Generation Sequencing method on the Ion Torrent platform for the genetic characterization of influenza A viruses circulating in Turkmenistan.

A training was also held on the analysis of primary data from next-generation sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of viral genome sequences.

For the first time, whole genome sequencing of 10 samples of influenza A virus subtype H3N2 was carried out jointly with the laboratory specialists.

Information on sequenced influenza viruses has been uploaded to GISAID (Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data) - a global scientific initiative and primary source providing open access to the genomic data of influenza and coronavirus viruses, and other viruses. It was the first and successful experience of the country on this issue.

The WHO mission was carried out within the framework of the implementation of the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework (PIP) in Turkmenistan.