Abstract
BackgroundThe disease burden of influenza in China has not been well described, especially among young children. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of outpatient visits associated with influenza in young children in Suzhou, a city of more than 11 million residents in Jiangsu Province in eastern China.MethodsInfluenza-like illness (ILI) was defined as the presence of fever (axillary temperature ≥38 °C) and cough or sore throat. We collected throat swabs for children less than 5 years of age with ILI who visited Suzhou University Affiliated Children’s Hospital (SCH) outpatient clinic or emergency room between April 2011 and March 2014. Suzhou CDC, a national influenza surveillance network laboratory, tested for influenza viruses by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay (rRT-PCR). Influenza-associated ILI was defined as ILI with laboratory-confirmed influenza by rRT-PCR. To calculate the incidence of influenza-associated outpatient visits, we conducted community-based healthcare utilization surveys to determine the proportion of hospital catchment area residents who sought care at SCH.ResultsThe estimated incidence of influenza-associated ILI outpatient visits among children aged <5 years in the catchment area of Suzhou was, per 100 population, 17.4 (95 % CI 11.0–25.3) during April 2011-March 2012, 14.6 (95 % CI 5.2–26.2) during April 2012-March 2013 and 21.4 (95 % CI: 10.9–33.5) during April 2013-March 2014. The age-specific outpatient visit rates of influenza-associated ILI were 4.9, 21.1 and 21.2 per 100 children aged 0- <6 months, 6- <24 months and 24- <60 months, respectively.ConclusionInfluenza virus infection causes a substantial burden of outpatient visits among young children in Suzhou, China. Targeted influenza prevention and control strategies for young children in Suzhou are needed to reduce influenza-associated outpatient visits in this age group.
Highlights
The disease burden of influenza in China has not been well described, especially among young children
Study site This study was conducted in Suzhou, a major city located in Jiangsu Province, eastern China
influenza-like illness (ILI) surveillance in the outpatient clinic From April 2011 to March 2014, we identified 11,817 (24.1 %) ILI cases within 49,058 outpatient visits among children less than 5 years old living in the Suzhou University Affiliated Children’s Hospital (SCH) catchment area
Summary
The disease burden of influenza in China has not been well described, especially among young children. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of outpatient visits associated with influenza in young children in Suzhou, a city of more than 11 million residents in Jiangsu Province in eastern China. Sentinel hospital surveillance can provide data to describe influenza epidemiology and seasonality, characterizing the circulating strains of influenza virus to guide vaccine development, and monitoring influenza pandemics. These surveillance systems can seldom be used to define the burden of influenza, because they are conducted in referral hospitals, where the catchment population is difficult to define and the health-seeking patterns may not be representative of the overall population [10]. Accurate estimates of disease burden are needed to establish public health priorities for resource allocation and to inform prevention, control and treatment policies
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
