Hospital‐based influenza morbidity and mortality surveillance system for influenza‐like illnesses: a comparison with national influenza surveillance systems

Abstract

The Hospital-based Influenza Morbidity and Mortality (HIMM) surveillance system is an emergency room (ER)-based influenza surveillance system in Korea that was established in 2011. The system was established under the assumption that integrated clinical and virologic surveillance could be performed rapidly and easily at seven tertiary hospitals' ER. Here, we assessed the correlation between data generated from the HIMM surveillance system and the Korean national influenza surveillance systems during the 2011–2012 influenza season using cross-correlation analysis and found strong correlations. Rapid antigen-test-based HIMM surveillance would predict the start of influenza epidemic earlier than pre-existing influenza-like-illness-based surveillance.

Estimation of influenza and severe acute respiratory illness incidence (burden) in three provinces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2012 and 2013

“…In many studies, the F-SARI incidence was only reported in children aged under 5 years, while in our study we estimated the incidence in all age groups (15,16).…”

“…However, testing these hypotheses would require further study and was beyond the objectives of the current study. (16). In two American studies, the age group most at risk for fatality was reported as those older than 65 years (17,18).…”

Recommended immunization schedules for adults: Clinical practice guidelines by the Escmid Vaccine Study Group (EVASG), European Geriatric Medicine Society (EUGMS) and the World Association for Infectious Diseases and Immunological Disorders (WAidid)

“…14 Reported effectiveness estimates for laboratory-confirmed influenza varied between 69.6% (95% CI 34.8-93.3%) and 78.5% (95% CI 40.0-97.2%), respectively, with the one-and 2-dose regimens, in the 16-64 y age group. 11 Vaccine effectiveness for influenza hospitalisation was reported by Baxter et 17 In summary, the effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccination for preventing ILI and influenza hospitalisations in healthy adults is sub-optimal but increases significantly for laboratoryconfirmed influenza. 8 No evidence of an association with serious adverse events was found.…”

Hospital surveillance of influenza strains: a concordant image of viruses identified by the Swiss Sentinel system?

“…A hospital‐based sentinel surveillance would fill this gap, complementing the actual influenza compulsory reporting by hospitals, by providing important data on high‐risk groups for influenza infection, for which prevention and treatment should be prioritized. This would permit a better understanding of the clinical features of influenza infection in hospitalized patients with a challenged health status including associated comorbidities and mortality rates and provide a more accurate estimation of the global burden of the disease . Characterizing hospital‐based influenza strains would also provide the opportunity to assess whether these strains mirror those circulating in the community, increasing the probability to identify more virulent isolates.…”

“…Characterizing hospital‐based influenza strains would also provide the opportunity to assess whether these strains mirror those circulating in the community, increasing the probability to identify more virulent isolates. This strategy is supported by the increasing adherence to international or country‐specific, hospital‐based surveillance systems by several countries …”