tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Prev Med Hyg
. 2021 Sep 15;62(3):E782-E788.
doi: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2021.62.3.2297. eCollection 2021 Sep.
Epidemiological and virological surveillance of Severe Acute Respiratory Infections in the 2019/2020 season in Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Elena Capitani[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Emanuele Montomoli[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Andrea Camarri[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Giovanni Bova[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Pier Leopoldo Capecchi[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Astrid Mercone[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Nicola Nante[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Ilaria Manini[SUP] 2 7 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Influenza is a major public health issue. Indeed, in Italy there were 7.6 million symptomatic cases of influenza in the 2019/2020 influenza season (from October 2019 to April 2020). The aim of this study is to analyse the circulation of influenza A and B viruses in hospitalized adult and elderly patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) at Le Scotte University Hospital in Siena.
Methods: Oropharyngeal swabs were taken from SARI patients, who also completed a questionnaire recording their underlying diseases and vaccination status. Total RNA was extracted from each respiratory swab by means of the QIAamp Viral RNA Mini kit, and RT-PCR was carried out. All statistical analyses were performed by means of GraphPad Prism 6 software and STATA.
Results: In this study we collected 68 swabs. The average age of subjects was 79.4 years (C.I.: 76.6-82.3) and 52.9% were female. The subjects had fever (89.7%), fatigue (77%), headache (47%), cough (75%), sore throat (70.5%), and breathlessness (63.2%). We found that 20% of the 68 subjects were positive (13% for A H3N2 and 7% for A H1N1). Of the 68 subjects, 25% had received a seasonal influenza vaccine (91.6% trivalent and 8.4% quadrivalent).
Conclusions: Our study is important in order to determine the timing and spread of influenza viruses and track changes in circulating influenza viruses, so as to inform seasonal influenza vaccine composition. Seasonal vaccination is considered the most effective way to prevent influenza and its complications.
Keywords: Epidemiological and virological surveillance; Influenza A and B viruses; Severe Acute Respiratory Infections.
. 2021 Sep 15;62(3):E782-E788.
doi: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2021.62.3.2297. eCollection 2021 Sep.
Epidemiological and virological surveillance of Severe Acute Respiratory Infections in the 2019/2020 season in Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Elena Capitani[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Emanuele Montomoli[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Andrea Camarri[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Giovanni Bova[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Pier Leopoldo Capecchi[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Astrid Mercone[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Nicola Nante[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Ilaria Manini[SUP] 2 7 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34909509
- PMCID: PMC8639125
- DOI: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2021.62.3.2297
Abstract
Background: Influenza is a major public health issue. Indeed, in Italy there were 7.6 million symptomatic cases of influenza in the 2019/2020 influenza season (from October 2019 to April 2020). The aim of this study is to analyse the circulation of influenza A and B viruses in hospitalized adult and elderly patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) at Le Scotte University Hospital in Siena.
Methods: Oropharyngeal swabs were taken from SARI patients, who also completed a questionnaire recording their underlying diseases and vaccination status. Total RNA was extracted from each respiratory swab by means of the QIAamp Viral RNA Mini kit, and RT-PCR was carried out. All statistical analyses were performed by means of GraphPad Prism 6 software and STATA.
Results: In this study we collected 68 swabs. The average age of subjects was 79.4 years (C.I.: 76.6-82.3) and 52.9% were female. The subjects had fever (89.7%), fatigue (77%), headache (47%), cough (75%), sore throat (70.5%), and breathlessness (63.2%). We found that 20% of the 68 subjects were positive (13% for A H3N2 and 7% for A H1N1). Of the 68 subjects, 25% had received a seasonal influenza vaccine (91.6% trivalent and 8.4% quadrivalent).
Conclusions: Our study is important in order to determine the timing and spread of influenza viruses and track changes in circulating influenza viruses, so as to inform seasonal influenza vaccine composition. Seasonal vaccination is considered the most effective way to prevent influenza and its complications.
Keywords: Epidemiological and virological surveillance; Influenza A and B viruses; Severe Acute Respiratory Infections.