Epidemiology of influenza-like illness during Pandemic (H1N1) 2009, New South Wales, Australia.

David J Muscatello,C Raina Macintyre,Margo Barr,Sarah V Thackway

doi:10.3201/eid1707.101173

David J Muscatello, C Raina Macintyre + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1707.101173

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Abstract

To rapidly describe the epidemiology of influenza-like illness (ILI) during the 2009 winter epidemic of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus in New South Wales, Australia, we used results of a continuous population health survey. During July–September 2009, ILI was experienced by 23% of the population. Among these persons, 51% were unable to undertake normal duties for <3 days, 55% sought care at a general practice, and 5% went to a hospital. Factors independently associated with ILI were younger age, daily smoking, and obesity. Effectiveness of prepandemic seasonal vaccine was ≈20%. The high prevalence of risk factors associated with a substantially increased risk for ILI deserves greater recognition.

Highlights

To rapidly describe the epidemiology of influenza-like illness (ILI) during the 2009 winter epidemic of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus in New South Wales, Australia, we used results of a continuous population health survey
In New South Wales (NSW), the most populous state of Australia (≈7 million persons), the epidemic lasted from late June through early September [1]
Survey methods have been infrequently used to assess the epidemiology of pandemic influenza virus infection in the general population

Summary

Introduction

To rapidly describe the epidemiology of influenza-like illness (ILI) during the 2009 winter epidemic of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus in New South Wales, Australia, we used results of a continuous population health survey. During the first epidemic wave of pandemic (H1N1) 2009, we used a continuous population health survey to better understand the epidemiology of the influenza (H1N1) virus in the general community. This situation created an unprecedented opportunity to assess the prevalence of seasonal influenza vaccination among persons of all age groups in our population and its effectiveness against ILI during pandemic (H1N1) 2009

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Conclusion