Publications

BACKGROUND: 18,500 laboratory-confirmed deaths caused by the 2009 pandemic influenza A H1N1 were reported worldwide for the period April, 2009, to August, 2010. This number is likely to be only a fraction of the true number of the deaths associated with 2009 pandemic influenza A H1N1. We aimed to estimate the global number of deaths during the first 12 months of virus circulation in each country.

METHODS: We calculated crude ...

To understand 2009 pandemic influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (A[H1N1]pdm09) circulation in West Africa, we collected influenza surveillance data from ministries of health and influenza laboratories in 10 countries, including Cameroon, from 4 May 2009 through 3 April 2010. A total of 10,203 respiratory specimens were tested, of which 25% were positive for influenza virus. Until the end of December 2009, only 14% of all detected strains were ...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Most studies on the clinical presentation with influenza viruses have been conducted in outpatient or inpatient medical facilities with only a few studies in community settings. Clinical differences between influenza A (H1N1) pdm 09 and influenza B virus infections have importance for community-based public health surveillance. An active community surveillance at the time of emergence of pandemic influenza ...

BACKGROUND: Seasonal influenza activity varies with geography and time of year.

OBJECTIVE: To describe how pandemic influenza A(H1N1)2009 [A(H1N1)pdm09] activity varied during the 2009-2010 pandemic.

METHODS: We analyzed influenza virological data compiled by the World Health Organization from June 2009-August 2010. We calculated weekly proportions of A(H1N1)pdm09-positive specimens out of all A(H1N1)pdm09-positive specimens ...

BACKGROUND: School closures were widely implemented in Argentina during the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the economic impact of school closures on households, their effectiveness in preventing children from engaging in social group activities, and parental attitudes toward them.

METHODS: Three schools that closed for 2 weeks in response to the pandemic were identified in two socioeconomically ...

BACKGROUND: Limited data are available from Central and Eastern Europe on risk factors for severe complications of influenza. Such data are essential to prioritize prevention and treatment resources and to adapt influenza vaccination recommendations.

OBJECTIVES: To use sentinel surveillance data to identify risk factors for fatal outcomes among hospitalized patients with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and among ...

BACKGROUND: The disease burden of the 2009 influenza pandemic has been debated but reliable estimates are lacking. To guide future policy and control, these estimates are necessary. This study uses burden of disease measurements to assess the contribution of the pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus to the overall burden of disease in the Netherlands.

METHODS: The burden of disease caused by 2009 pandemic influenza was estimated by ...

BACKGROUND: In view of ongoing pandemic threats such as the recent human cases of novel avian influenza A(H7N9) in China, it is important that all countries continue their preparedness efforts. Since 2006, Central American countries have received donor funding and technical assistance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to build and improve their capacity for influenza surveillance and pandemic preparedness. Our ...

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence of influenza-virus-associated severe pneumonia among Salvadorian children aged < 5 years.

METHODS: Data on children aged < 5 years admitted with severe pneumonia to a sentinel hospital in the western region were collected weekly. Nasal and oropharyngeal swab specimens were collected from a convenience sample of case patients for respiratory virus testing. A health-care utilization survey was ...