Excess mortality--influenza epidemiological surveillance indicator

Observations on "excess mortality" from influenza, carried out in the Moldavia area between 1957 and 1973, are presented in the paper. They made it possible to assess in time and space as well as in severity the knowledge on influenza epidemics. "Excess mortality" proved to be a valuable indicator of increase in influenza mortality, especially, on the occurrence of big epidemics the existence of which was closely related to the appearance of new types and variants of influenza viruses. Though "excess mortality" showed the highest values when death from acute pneumopathies recorded in the preepidemic and postepidemic periods was included in the calculation, it also pointed to the strong effect of influenza on all causes of death, especially chronic diseases of the respiratory and cardio-vascular systems.