Preliminary results of official influenza and acute respiratory infection surveillance in two towns of Burkina Faso, 2013–2015

Abstract

BackgroundIn 2010, influenza, influenza-like illness (ILI) and acute respiratory infection (ARI) surveillance was established by the government of Burkina Faso. We provide preliminary descriptive results from this surveillance activity.MethodsThe study period was 2013 through 2015. Two primary healthcare facilities in Bobo-Dioulasso district reported ILI in outpatients. Influenza virology, using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR), was available for a proportion of ILI patients. One hospital, in the capital Ouagadougou, reported ARI in both outpatients and inpatients (hospitalized). Inpatients admitted with ARI were considered severe ARI (SARI). We estimated the proportion of primary care outpatient visits that were ILI, and the proportion of those that were due to influenza, by age. We estimated the proportion of hospital outpatient visits that were ARI and the proportion of those that were SARI, by age.ResultsAmong combined outpatient visits in the Bobo-Dioulasso facilities, 19.6% were for ILI. One half (49.9%) of outpatient visits in infants and 30.9% in 1–4 year-olds were ILI. Among ILI outpatient visits 14.8% were due to influenza virus and, of these, 58.5% were type A and 41.5% type B. At the Ouagadougou hospital, 6.7% of outpatient visits were ARI, and 22.3% of those were SARI. The highest proportions of ARI were among infants (19.8%) and 1–4 year-olds (16.0%). The proportion of ARI that was SARI was highest among ≥15 year-olds (31.5%) followed by 1–4 year-olds (22.4%). Overall, 4.1% of SARI patients died.ConclusionsThese preliminary data indicate the importance of respiratory infections among health care attendances in Burkina Faso, and influenza may be an important contributor to these.

Epidemiology of respiratory infections among adults in Qatar (2012-2017)

“…We found that influenza virus was predominating among ILI cases over the six-year period, accounting for more than 22% of all tested samples. This is similar to other reports in which influenza frequency ranged from 14.8% to 30.9% [8,10,15,16,[18][19][20]. Moreover, among typed influenza positive samples, the majority were type A, reaching 77.1%.…”

Aetiology of acute febrile illness in children in a high malaria transmission area in West Africa

“…In Burkina Faso, a country in the semiarid Sahel and Savanna zones of West Africa, malaria transmission remains high, with marked seasonality in the rainy season [9e11]. Influenza virus has been reported to circulate in Burkina Faso [12,13], but its importance and that of other viral respiratory infections in the aetiology of nonmalaria fever remains unknown.…”

The epidemiology of seasonal influenza after the 2009 influenza pandemic in Africa: a systematic review

“…These data covered aspects of influenza detection and seasonality. 21 countries reported influenza surveillance data among inpatients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and outpatients with influenza-like-illness (ILI) 6 , 13 , 19 , 26 , 27 , 30 , 32 , 33 , 36 , 37 , 40 , 45 , 46 , 51 , 55 , 61 , 64 , 69 , 70 , 72 ; whereas Gabon, Togo, Burkina Faso, Central Africa Republic and Uganda reported influenza surveillance data among outpatients with ILI only 14 , 17 , 18 , 60 , 73 , 154 .…”

“…These data covered aspects of influenza detection and seasonality. 21 countries reported influenza surveillance data among inpatients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and outpatients with influenza-like-illness (ILI) 6,13,19,26,27,30,32,33,36,37,40,45,46,51,55,61,64,69,70,72 ; whereas Gabon, Togo, Burkina Faso, Central Africa Republic and Uganda reported influenza surveillance data among outpatients with ILI only 14,17,18,60,73,154 . Globally, the case definition used in most surveillance systems was consistent with that of WHO for influenza-like illness (defined as an acute respiratory infection with measured fever of ≥ 38°C, and cough, with onset within the last 7 or 10 days), or severe acute respiratory infection (defined as an acute respiratory infection with history of fever or measured fever of ≥ 38°C, and cough, with onset within the last 7 or 10 days, and requiring hospitalization) 18,26,28,30,32,49 .…”