Impact of Influenza on Outpatient Visits, Hospitalizations, and Deaths by Using a Time Series Poisson Generalized...

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Virology

Background:

• Influenza disease burden in developing subtropical regions is poorly understood due to limited surveillance.
• The specific impact of influenza on healthcare utilization and mortality in South China remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively assess the disease burden of influenza-like illness (ILI) and influenza in Zhuhai City.
• To determine the impact of ILI and influenza on outpatient visits, hospital admissions, and mortality.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a time series Poisson generalized additive model.
• Analyzed influenza surveillance data from 2007-2009.
• Integrated outpatient, inpatient, and mortality data for respiratory diseases.

Main Results:

• Influenza activity showed a seasonal subtropical pattern with subtype-specific variations.
• ILI demonstrated a strong positive correlation with virus isolation rates (r=0.774).
• ILI and influenza significantly increased outpatient visits (10.7% and 1.88% respectively).
• ILI significantly impacted hospitalizations in individuals under 25 and COPD-related deaths (33.1%).

Conclusions:

• Influenza-like illness serves as a feasible indicator for monitoring influenza activity.
• Both ILI and influenza exert a substantial impact on outpatient healthcare utilization.
• While ILI influences hospital admissions and mortality, influenza's consistent impact requires further investigation.