Open AccessEpidemiology and outcome of influenza‐associated infections among hospitalized patients with acute respiratory infections, Egypt national surveillance system, 2016‐2019
Author(s) -
Fahim Manal,
AbdElGawad Basma,
Hassan Hossam,
Naguib Amel,
Ahmed ElSabbah,
Afifi Salma,
Abu ElSood Hanaa,
Mohsen Amira
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
influenza and other respiratory viruses
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.743
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1750-2659
pISSN - 1750-2640
DOI - 10.1111/irv.12867
Subject(s) - medicine , epidemiology , outbreak , epidemiological surveillance , pediatrics , influenza a virus , virology , virus
Abstract Introduction Egypt has established different types of surveillance systems to monitor influenza activities, early detect outbreaks, and tailor efficient prevention and control strategies. This is the first study to describe epidemiology and outcome of influenza‐associated infections among hospitalized patients using the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS) data, 2016‐2019. Methods Data reported from 284 hospitals all over Egypt were extracted from the NEDSS. Data of hospitalized patients with Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI), 2016‐2019, were included in the analysis. Laboratory testing for influenza by RT‐PCR according to US CDC testing protocol was used to confirm influenza type and subtype. Results Overall 46 417 patients hospitalized with ARI were identified, their mean age was 30.9 ± 26 and 52.9% were males. Among 41 512 (89.4%) laboratory‐tested patients, 7167 (17.3%) were positive for one or more types of influenza viruses. Influenza viruses circulated in all ages and throughout the year, with higher rates in winter, late childhood, and middle ages. Mortality from influenza was significantly higher than other causes of ARIs (5.0% vs 3.8%, P < .001), and it was associated with older ages, December‐May, delay in hospital admission, residence in urban and frontier governorates and infection with A/H1N1 virus. The distribution of influenza subtype by time shows alternate pattern between A/H1N1 and H3N2, each subtype peaks every other year with a high peak of A/H1N1 in 2016. Conclusions The national Egyptian surveillance succeeded to describe the epidemiology of hospitalized patients with ARIs and influenza in Egypt over time. Surveillance with strain‐specific laboratory testing and annual assessment of associated severity might be useful to guide influenza prevention and control strategies including vaccination and case management.