The 2017-2018 influenza season in Bucharest, Romania: epidemiology and characteristics of hospital admissions for influenza-like illness.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Seasonal influenza causes a considerable burden to healthcare services every year. To better measure the impact of severe influenza cases in Romania, we analyzed active surveillance data collected during the 2017-2018 season from patients admitted for influenza-like illness (ILI) at a tertiary care hospital in Bucharest.

Methods

Patients admitted for acute ILI were included if they were resident in the Bucharest-Ilfov region, had been hospitalized for at least 24?h, and had onset of symptoms within 7?days before admission. Patient demographics, healthcare use, vaccination status, and outcome data were collected by questionnaire or by searching clinical records. Respiratory swabs were also obtained from each patient to confirm influenza A (A/H1 and A/H3 subtypes) or influenza B (Yamagata and Victoria lineages) infection by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assay.

Results

The study included 502 patients, many (45.2%) of whom were aged ConclusionsThese results show that seasonal influenza results in considerable hospitalization in Bucharest-Ilfov, Romania and suggest vaccine coverage should be extended, especially to the youngest age groups. The data from this study should help inform and optimize national influenza healthcare policies.

SUBMITTER: Draganescu A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6852761 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature