Influenza Viruses in Children Attending Yangon Children Hospital, Myanmar during Influenza Season in 2013

Abstract

Globally, circulating subtypes of human and avian H5 influenza viruses occasionally cause epidemics. To determine the burden of influenza virus among children with influenza-like illness (ILI) who visited a hospital in Yangon, a cross-sectional study was conducted in Yangon Children Hospital from June to August 2013. Nasal swabs were taken from 100 children with ILI and viral RNA was tested by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Samples positive of influenza A virus were subtyped by multiplex RT-PCR. Of 100 ILI cases, six cases (6%) revealed matrix gene of influenza A virus. Five (83.3%) out of six influenza A cases were of seasonal H3 subtype and one case (16.7%) was of pandemic H1 subtype. In 2013, majority of influenza A viruses found in ILI children was seasonal H3 subtype that was different from the previous findings during 2010-2011 when pandemic H1 subtype was predominant. The results highlighted that subtyping of influenza viruses should be continued to determine trends of predominant influenza subtype and hence, to estimate the disease outbreaks.