Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026
High-throughput Detection Method for Influenza Virus
Published on: February 4, 2012
Influenza-related hospitalizations among children in Hong Kong
Susan S Chiu1, Yu Lung Lau, Kwok H Chan
1Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Insights
Influenza causes significant hospitalizations in Hong Kong children, with higher rates than in temperate regions. This study quantifies influenza-related hospitalizations, excluding respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) impacts.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Public health epidemiology
- Virology
Background:
- Influenza burden in children is hard to define due to co-circulating viruses like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
- Hong Kong's distinct influenza and RSV seasons allow for RSV-free estimation of influenza hospitalization rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the influenza-associated excess hospitalization rate in children under 15 in Hong Kong.
- To provide a clearer picture of influenza's impact on pediatric hospital admissions in a subtropical region.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective, population-based study in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1997-1999).
- Utilized data from a single hospital with intensive virologic testing for diagnosis and model adjustment.
- Estimated excess hospitalization rates attributable to influenza, adjusting for underestimation.
Main Results:
- Influenza and RSV peaks were separated in 1998 and 1999, aiding analysis.
- Adjusted excess hospitalization rates per 10,000 children varied by age: highest in infants (<1 year) at ~280, decreasing with age.
- Rates for children <1 year were 278.5 (1998) and 288.2 (1999); 1-2 years: 218.4 (1998) and 209.3 (1999).
Conclusions:
- Influenza is a significant cause of pediatric hospitalization in subtropical regions.
- Hospitalization rates attributed to influenza in Hong Kong children exceed those reported in temperate climates.
- The study provides crucial data for understanding influenza's pediatric burden in subtropical public health contexts.
Background:
It has been difficult to define the burden of influenza in children because of confounding by the cocirculation of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). In Hong Kong, China, the influenza and RSV infection seasons sometimes do not overlap, thus providing an opportunity to estimate the rate of influenza-related hospitalization in a defined population, free from the effects of RSV.
Methods:
In a retrospective, population-based study, we estimated the influenza-associated excess rate of hospitalization among children 15 years old or younger in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from 1997 to 1999. Data from a single hospital with intensive use of virologic analyses for diagnosis were obtained to define and adjust for underestimation of the model.
Results:
Peaks of influenza and RSV infection activity were well separated in 1998 and 1999 but overlapped in 1997. The adjusted rates of excess hospitalization for acute respiratory disease that were attributable to influenza were 278.5 and 288.2 per 10,000 children less than 1 year of age in 1998 and 1999, respectively; 218.4 and 209.3 per 10,000 children 1 to less than 2 years of age; 125.6 and 77.3 per 10,000 children 2 to less than 5 years of age; 57.3 and 20.9 per 10,000 children 5 to less than 10 years of age; and 16.4 and 8.1 per 10,000 children 10 to 15 years of age.
Conclusions:
In the subtropics, influenza is an important cause of hospitalization among children, with rates exceeding those reported for temperate regions.
More Related Videos
05:21A Luciferase-fluorescent Reporter Influenza Virus for Live Imaging and Quantification of Viral Infection
Published on: August 14, 2019
08:10Production of High-Titer Infectious Influenza Pseudotyped Particles with Envelope Glycoproteins from Highly Pathogenic H5N1 and Avian H7N9 Viruses
Published on: January 15, 2020
Related Concept Videos
01:51Vaccinations
01:28Infectious Diseases and Their Occurrence
01:27Influenza
01:29Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease