Influenza epidemiology in patients admitted to sentinel Australian hospitals in 2015: the Influenza Complications Alert Network

Authors

  • Allen C Cheng Alfred Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria
  • Mark Holmes University of Adelaide, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia
  • Dominic E Dwyer University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales
  • Louis B Irving Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria
  • Tony M Korman Monash Infectious Diseases, Monash Medical Centre; Monash University, Clayton, Victoria
  • Sanjaya Senanayake Australian National University,Canberra Hospital, Garran, Australian Capital Territory
  • Kristine K Macartney Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, New South Wales
  • Christopher C Blyth Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Western Australia, Telethon Kids Institute, West Perth, Western Australia
  • Simon Brown University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia
  • Grant W Waterer University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia
  • Robert Hewer University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania
  • N Deborah Friedman University Hospital Geelong, Victoria
  • Peter A Wark University of Newcastle, John Hunter Hospital, New Lambton, New South Wales
  • Graham Simpson Cairns Base Hospital, Queensland
  • John W Upham Princess Alexandra Hospital, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Queensland
  • Simon D Bowler Mater Hospitals, Brisbane, Queensland
  • Albert Lessing Alice Springs Hospital, Alice Springs, Northern Territory
  • Tom Kotsimbos Alfred Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria
  • Paul M Kelly ACT Government Health Directorate; Australian National University Medical School, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2016.40.59

Keywords:

influenza, hospitalisation, morbidity, FluCAN

Abstract

The Influenza Complications Alert Network (FluCAN) is a sentinel hospital-based surveillance program that operates at sites in all states and territories in Australia. This report summarises the epidemiology of hospitalisations with laboratory-confirmed influenza during the 2015 influenza season. In this observational study, cases were defined as patients admitted to one of the sentinel hospitals with an acute respiratory illness with influenza confirmed by nucleic acid detection. During the period 1 April to 30 October 2015 (the 2015 influenza season), 2,070 patients were admitted with confirmed influenza to one of 17 FluCAN sentinel hospitals. Of these, 46% were elderly (≥ 65 years), 15% were children (< 16 years), 5% were Indigenous Australians, 2.1% were pregnant and 75% had chronic co-morbidities. A high proportion were due to influenza B (51%). There were a large number of hospital admissions detected with confirmed influenza in this national observational surveillance system in 2015 with case numbers similar to that reported in 2014. The national immunisation program is estimated to avert 46% of admissions from confirmed influenza across all at-risk groups, but more complete vaccination coverage in target groups could further reduce influenza admissions by as much as 14%. Commun Dis Intell 2016;40(4):E521–E526.

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Published

01/12/16

How to Cite

Cheng, Allen C, Mark Holmes, Dominic E Dwyer, Louis B Irving, Tony M Korman, Sanjaya Senanayake, Kristine K Macartney, et al. 2016. “Influenza Epidemiology in Patients Admitted to Sentinel Australian Hospitals in 2015: The Influenza Complications Alert Network”. Communicable Diseases Intelligence 40 (December):521-26. https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2016.40.59.

Issue

Vol. 40 (2016)

Section

Annual report

Categories

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