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Epidemiol Infect. 2018 Jun 14:1-7. doi: 10.1017/S0950268818001516. [Epub ahead of print]
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Russell K1, Herrick K2, Venkat H1, Brady S2, Komatsu K2, Goodin K3, Berisha V3, Sunenshine R3, Perez-Velez C4, Elliott S5, Olsen SJ6, Reed C6.
Author information
Abstract
The Arizona Department of Health Services identified unusually high levels of influenza activity and severe complications during the 2015-2016 influenza season leading to concerns about potential increased disease severity compared with prior seasons. We estimated state-level burden and severity to compare across three seasons using multiple data sources for community-level illness, hospitalisation and death. Severity ratios were calculated as the number of hospitalisations or deaths per community case. Community influenza-like illness rates, hospitalisation rates and mortality rates in 2015-2016 were higher than the previous two seasons. However, ratios of severe disease to community illness were similar. Arizona experienced overall increased disease burden in 2015-2016, but not increased severity compared with prior seasons. Timely estimates of state-specific burden and severity are potentially feasible and may provide important information during seemingly unusual influenza seasons or pandemic situations.
KEYWORDS:
Epidemiology; estimating disease prevalence; influenza; outbreaks; pandemic
PMID: 29898797 DOI: 10.1017/S0950268818001516
.
Russell K1, Herrick K2, Venkat H1, Brady S2, Komatsu K2, Goodin K3, Berisha V3, Sunenshine R3, Perez-Velez C4, Elliott S5, Olsen SJ6, Reed C6.
Author information
Abstract
The Arizona Department of Health Services identified unusually high levels of influenza activity and severe complications during the 2015-2016 influenza season leading to concerns about potential increased disease severity compared with prior seasons. We estimated state-level burden and severity to compare across three seasons using multiple data sources for community-level illness, hospitalisation and death. Severity ratios were calculated as the number of hospitalisations or deaths per community case. Community influenza-like illness rates, hospitalisation rates and mortality rates in 2015-2016 were higher than the previous two seasons. However, ratios of severe disease to community illness were similar. Arizona experienced overall increased disease burden in 2015-2016, but not increased severity compared with prior seasons. Timely estimates of state-specific burden and severity are potentially feasible and may provide important information during seemingly unusual influenza seasons or pandemic situations.
KEYWORDS:
Epidemiology; estimating disease prevalence; influenza; outbreaks; pandemic
PMID: 29898797 DOI: 10.1017/S0950268818001516