Severe influenza virus infection in children admitted to the PICU: Comparison of influenza A and influenza B virus infection

Abstract

Although the influenza virus usually causes a self-limiting disease, deaths are reported even in children without risk factors. We aimed to identify the clinical features, mortality associated with severe influenza A and B virus infections of children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). We conducted a retrospective study of children with confirmed influenza infection between 2012 and 2019 who were admitted to the PICU. Demographic features, risk factors, clinical data, microbiological data, complications, and outcomes were collected. Over seven influenza seasons (2012-2011 to 2015-2016), 713 children diagnosed with laboratoryconfirmed influenza-related LRTI, and PICU admission was needed in 6% (46/713) of the patients. Thirty-one patients (67.4%) were diagnosed with influenza A and 15 patients were diagnosed with influenza B. Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics were similar in both influenza types, lactate dehydrogenase levels were significantly higher for influenza A than for influenza B infections. Although the influenza A to B ratio among the patients admitted to the PICU was 2.06, the percentage of cases requiring PICU admission was nearly two times higher in influenza B cases. There was no statistically significant difference in disease severity and complications in patients with influenza A and influenza B.

Assessment of the humoral immune response in children after immunization with different types of inactivated influenza vaccines in the 2019-2020 season

“…Importantly, the influenza B virus infection poses the greatest threat to children and is often accompanied by serious complications. Children with influenza B infection require hospitalization in the intensive care unit more often and have a higher mortality rate compared to those with influenza A infection [10,11]. Furthermore, we compared our data with the results of a similar study that was conducted in the United States on subjects aged 6 to 21 years who had initially low antibody titers in the 2019-2020 season [15].…”

Prospects on Repurposing a Live Attenuated Vaccine for the Control of Unrelated Infections

“…IAV and influenza B virus (IBV) are antigenically distinct but both have significant clinical importance ( 27 ). IAV and IBV, like other RNA viruses, frequently yield variant strains that have mutations in antigenic sites.…”

Recent advances of phenotypic screening strategies in the application of anti-influenza virus drug discovery

“…Every year, the number of seasonal influenza (IAV and influenza B virus) infections worldwide is as high as 1 billion, resulting in 3 million to 5 million severe cases and 290 000 to 650 000 deaths. 4–7 Therefore, it is still an important task to prevent and treat influenza viral infections.…”