TY - JOUR
T1 - Implementing hospital-based surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections caused by influenza and other respiratory pathogens in New Zealand
AU - Huang, Q Sue
AU - Baker, Michael
AU - McArthur, Colin
AU - Roberts, Sally
AU - Williamson, Deborah
AU - Grant, Cameron
AU - Trenholme, Adrian
AU - Wong, Conroy
AU - Taylor, Susan
AU - LeComte, Lyndsay
AU - Mackereth, Graham
AU - Bandaranayake, Don
AU - Wood, Tim
AU - Bissielo, Ange
AU - Seeds, Ruth
AU - Turner, Nikki
AU - Pierse, Nevil
AU - Thomas, Paul
AU - Webby, Richard
AU - Gross, Diane
AU - Duque, Jazmin
AU - Thompson, Mark
AU - Widdowson, Marc-Alain
PY - 2014/8/1
Y1 - 2014/8/1
N2 - BACKGROUND: Recent experience with pandemic influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 highlighted the importance of global surveillance for severe respiratory disease to support pandemic preparedness and seasonal influenza control. Improved surveillance in the southern hemisphere is needed to provide critical data on influenza epidemiology, disease burden, circulating strains and effectiveness of influenza prevention and control measures. Hospital-based surveillance for severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases was established in New Zealand on 30 April 2012. The aims were to measure incidence, prevalence, risk factors, clinical spectrum and outcomes for SARI and associated influenza and other respiratory pathogen cases as well as to understand influenza contribution to patients not meeting SARI case definition.METHODS/DESIGN: All inpatients with suspected respiratory infections who were admitted overnight to the study hospitals were screened daily. If a patient met the World Health Organization's SARI case definition, a respiratory specimen was tested for influenza and other respiratory pathogens. A case report form captured demographics, history of presenting illness, co-morbidities, disease course and outcome and risk factors. These data were supplemented from electronic clinical records and other linked data sources.DISCUSSION: Hospital-based SARI surveillance has been implemented and is fully functioning in New Zealand. Active, prospective, continuous, hospital-based SARI surveillance is useful in supporting pandemic preparedness for emerging influenza A(H7N9) virus infections and seasonal influenza prevention and control.
AB - BACKGROUND: Recent experience with pandemic influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 highlighted the importance of global surveillance for severe respiratory disease to support pandemic preparedness and seasonal influenza control. Improved surveillance in the southern hemisphere is needed to provide critical data on influenza epidemiology, disease burden, circulating strains and effectiveness of influenza prevention and control measures. Hospital-based surveillance for severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases was established in New Zealand on 30 April 2012. The aims were to measure incidence, prevalence, risk factors, clinical spectrum and outcomes for SARI and associated influenza and other respiratory pathogen cases as well as to understand influenza contribution to patients not meeting SARI case definition.METHODS/DESIGN: All inpatients with suspected respiratory infections who were admitted overnight to the study hospitals were screened daily. If a patient met the World Health Organization's SARI case definition, a respiratory specimen was tested for influenza and other respiratory pathogens. A case report form captured demographics, history of presenting illness, co-morbidities, disease course and outcome and risk factors. These data were supplemented from electronic clinical records and other linked data sources.DISCUSSION: Hospital-based SARI surveillance has been implemented and is fully functioning in New Zealand. Active, prospective, continuous, hospital-based SARI surveillance is useful in supporting pandemic preparedness for emerging influenza A(H7N9) virus infections and seasonal influenza prevention and control.
KW - Communicable Disease Control
KW - Epidemics
KW - Hospitalization
KW - Hospitals
KW - Humans
KW - Incidence
KW - Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype
KW - Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype
KW - Influenza, Human/complications
KW - New Zealand/epidemiology
KW - Population Surveillance/methods
KW - Prevalence
KW - Prospective Studies
KW - Seasons
KW - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome/epidemiology
KW - Severity of Illness Index
U2 - 10.5365/WPSAR.2014.5.1.004
DO - 10.5365/WPSAR.2014.5.1.004
M3 - Article
C2 - 25077034
SN - 2094-7321
VL - 5
SP - 23
EP - 30
JO - Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal : WPSAR
JF - Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal : WPSAR
IS - 2
ER -