tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2011 Sep 7. [Epub ahead of print]
High incidence of severe influenza among individuals aged over 50 years.
Zhang AJ, To KK, Tse H, Chan KH, Guo KY, Li C, Hung IF, Chan JF, Chen H, Tam S, Yuen KY.
Source
Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong; Pokfulam Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Abstract
Age-specific epidemiological data of asymptomatic, symptomatic and severe infection are essential for public health polices in combating influenza. In this study, we incorporated data of microbiologically-confirmed infection and seroprevalence to comprehensively describe the epidemiology of pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza. Seroprevalence was determined from 1795 random serum samples collected in January 2007 (before the first wave) and March 2010 (after the second wave) in our hospital. Data on microbiologically-confirmed infection and severe cases were obtained from Centre for Health Protection in Hong Kong. Severe cases were most common in the 51-60 year age group. Microbiologically-confirmed incidence rate was highest in children aged ≤10 years, and dropped sharply in the adult population (ρ=-1.0, p<0.01), but the incidence rate for severe disease was highest in the 51-60-year age group. For the 51-60-year age group, the seroprevalence was similar to the younger age groups, but the proportion of severe case relative to seroprevalence was significantly higher than that of age groups 11-50. As judged from the percentage of specimens positive for other respiratory viruses compared with that of pandemic H1N1 virus, the impact of symptomatic disease due to pandemic H1N1 was higher than other respiratory viruses in people aged ≤50 years. In conclusion, the 51-60-year age group, which had the highest incidence and incidence rate of severe disease but currently not considered by the World Health Organization to be a risk factor, should be prioritized for influenza vaccination in areas where universal influenza vaccination is not practiced.
PMID:
21900532
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21900532
High incidence of severe influenza among individuals aged over 50 years.
Zhang AJ, To KK, Tse H, Chan KH, Guo KY, Li C, Hung IF, Chan JF, Chen H, Tam S, Yuen KY.
Source
Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong; Pokfulam Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Abstract
Age-specific epidemiological data of asymptomatic, symptomatic and severe infection are essential for public health polices in combating influenza. In this study, we incorporated data of microbiologically-confirmed infection and seroprevalence to comprehensively describe the epidemiology of pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza. Seroprevalence was determined from 1795 random serum samples collected in January 2007 (before the first wave) and March 2010 (after the second wave) in our hospital. Data on microbiologically-confirmed infection and severe cases were obtained from Centre for Health Protection in Hong Kong. Severe cases were most common in the 51-60 year age group. Microbiologically-confirmed incidence rate was highest in children aged ≤10 years, and dropped sharply in the adult population (ρ=-1.0, p<0.01), but the incidence rate for severe disease was highest in the 51-60-year age group. For the 51-60-year age group, the seroprevalence was similar to the younger age groups, but the proportion of severe case relative to seroprevalence was significantly higher than that of age groups 11-50. As judged from the percentage of specimens positive for other respiratory viruses compared with that of pandemic H1N1 virus, the impact of symptomatic disease due to pandemic H1N1 was higher than other respiratory viruses in people aged ≤50 years. In conclusion, the 51-60-year age group, which had the highest incidence and incidence rate of severe disease but currently not considered by the World Health Organization to be a risk factor, should be prioritized for influenza vaccination in areas where universal influenza vaccination is not practiced.
PMID:
21900532
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21900532