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Eur J Neurol . Incidence and prevalence of headache in influenza: A 2010-2021 surveillance-based study

tetano

Editor, Senior Moderator
Eur J Neurol


. 2024 May 21:e16349.
doi: 10.1111/ene.16349. Online ahead of print. Incidence and prevalence of headache in influenza: A 2010-2021 surveillance-based study

David García-Azorín[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Laura Santana-López[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ana Ordax-Díez[SUP] 3 [/SUP], José Eugenio Lozano-Alonso[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Diego Macias Saint-Gerons[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Yésica González-Osorio[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Silvia Rojo-Rello[SUP] 5 [/SUP], José M Eiros[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Javier Sánchez-Martínez[SUP] 6 7 [/SUP], Álvaro Sierra-Mencía[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Andrea Recio-García[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ángel Luis Guerrero-Peral[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Ivan Sanz-Muñoz[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP]



Affiliations
Abstract

Background and purpose: Influenza is a common cause of acute respiratory infection, with headache being one of the symptoms included in the European Commission case definition. The prevalence of headache as a symptom of influenza remains unknown. We aimed to describe the incidence and prevalence of headache in patients with influenza.
Methods: All consecutive patients who met the definition criteria of influenza-like illness during the influenza seasons 2010-2011 through 2021-2022 were included. The seasonal cumulative incidence of influenza per 1000 patients at risk and the prevalence of headache as an influenza symptom were calculated, including the 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup analyses were done based on patients' sex, age group, microbiological confirmation, vaccination status, and influenza type/subtype/lineage.
Results: During the study period, 8171 patients were eligible. The incidence of headache in the context of influenza varied between 0.24 cases per 1000 patients (season 2020-2021) and 21.69 cases per 1000 patients (season 2017-2018). The prevalence of headache was 66.1% (95% CI = 65.1%-67.1%), varying between 49.6% (season 2021-2022) and 80.1% (season 2010-2011). The prevalence of headache was higher in women (67.9% vs. 65.7%, p = 0.03) and higher in patients between 15 and 65 years old. Headache was more prevalent in patients infected with B subtypes than A subtypes (68.7% vs. 56.9%, p < 0.001). There were no notable differences regarding vaccination status or microbiological confirmation of the infection.
Conclusions: Headache is a common symptom in patients with influenza, with a prevalence higher than that observed in other viral infections.

Keywords: epidemiology; headache disorders; infections; migraine; virus diseases.

 
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