Abstract
Although information about seasonality and prevalence of influenza is crucial for development of effective prevention and control strategies, limited data exist on the epidemiology of influenza in tropical countries. To better understand influenza in Nicaragua, we performed a prospective 2-year cohort study of influenza-like illness (ILI) involving 4,276 children, 2-11 years of age, in Managua, during April 2005-April 2007. One peak of ILI activity occurred during 2005, in June-July; 2 peaks occurred during 2006, in June-July and November-December. The rate of ILI was 34.8/100 person-years. A household risk factor survey administered to a subset (61%) of participants identified the following risk factors: young age, asthma, and increasing person density in the household. Influenza virus circulation was confirmed during each ILI peak by laboratory testing of a subset of samples. Our findings demonstrate a high rate of ILI, with seasonal peaks, in children in Nicaragua.
Highlights
Information about seasonality and prevalence of influenza is crucial for development of effective prevention and control strategies, limited data exist on the epidemiology of influenza in tropical countries
This scarcity of data can be attributed to limited laboratory resources and capabilities, as well as to the lower priority given to influenza compared with other infectious diseases in these regions
Because respiratory syncytial virus is most common in children 5 years of age can increase the probability that a peak in influenza-like illness (ILI) is due to influenza virus [15,16]
Summary
Information about seasonality and prevalence of influenza is crucial for development of effective prevention and control strategies, limited data exist on the epidemiology of influenza in tropical countries. Information concerning seasonality and prevalence is crucial for development of effective regional and global seasonal influenza prevention strategies as well as pandemic influenza control measures [3,4] This scarcity of data can be attributed to limited laboratory resources and capabilities, as well as to the lower priority given to influenza compared with other infectious diseases in these regions. To study influenza in Nicaragua, a developing country in Central America, we conducted a cohort study to evaluate the prevalence and seasonal pattern of ILI and its associated risk factors among children
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