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J Infect Dis. 2012 Oct 8. [Epub ahead of print]
Excess mortality associated with influenza A and B virus in Hong Kong, 1998-2009.
Wu P, Goldstein E, Ho LM, Yang L, Nishiura H, Wu JT, Ip DK, Chuang SK, Tsang T, Cowling BJ.
Source
School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Abstract
Background. While deaths associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infections are rare, the excess mortality burden of influenza estimated from statistical models may more reliably quantify the impact of influenza in a population.Methods. We applied age-specific multiple linear regression models to all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates in Hong Kong from 1998 through 2009. The differences between estimated mortality rates in the presence or absence of recorded influenza activity were used to estimate influenza-associated excess mortality.Results. The annual influenza-associated all-cause excess mortality rate was 11.1 (95% confidence interval, CI: 7.2-14.6) per 100,000 person-years. We estimated an average of 751 (95% CI: 488-990) excess deaths associated with influenza annually from 1998 through 2009, with 95% of the excess deaths occurring in elderly aged ≥65 years. Most of the influenza-associated excess deaths were from respiratory (53%) and cardiovascular (18%) causes. Influenza A(H3N2) epidemics were associated with more excess deaths than influenza A(H1N1) or B during the study period.Conclusions. Influenza was associated with a substantial number of excess deaths each year, mainly among the elderly, in Hong Kong in the past decade. The influenza-associated excess mortality rates were generally similar in Hong Kong and the United States.
PMID:
23045622
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Excess mortality associated with influenza A and B virus in Hong Kong, 1998-2009.
Wu P, Goldstein E, Ho LM, Yang L, Nishiura H, Wu JT, Ip DK, Chuang SK, Tsang T, Cowling BJ.
Source
School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Abstract
Background. While deaths associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infections are rare, the excess mortality burden of influenza estimated from statistical models may more reliably quantify the impact of influenza in a population.Methods. We applied age-specific multiple linear regression models to all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates in Hong Kong from 1998 through 2009. The differences between estimated mortality rates in the presence or absence of recorded influenza activity were used to estimate influenza-associated excess mortality.Results. The annual influenza-associated all-cause excess mortality rate was 11.1 (95% confidence interval, CI: 7.2-14.6) per 100,000 person-years. We estimated an average of 751 (95% CI: 488-990) excess deaths associated with influenza annually from 1998 through 2009, with 95% of the excess deaths occurring in elderly aged ≥65 years. Most of the influenza-associated excess deaths were from respiratory (53%) and cardiovascular (18%) causes. Influenza A(H3N2) epidemics were associated with more excess deaths than influenza A(H1N1) or B during the study period.Conclusions. Influenza was associated with a substantial number of excess deaths each year, mainly among the elderly, in Hong Kong in the past decade. The influenza-associated excess mortality rates were generally similar in Hong Kong and the United States.
PMID:
23045622
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
