[Mortality and lethality of influenza and acute respiratory diseases]

Analysis of mortality and lethality rates due to influenza, acute respiratory disease (ARD), and acute pneumonia in adults has revealed a higher proportion in an old-age group (over 60 years) than in younger-age ones (15-30-year olds). Moreover, these figures have been found to have increased twice in the old-age group in the last two decades. At the same time the lethality rates due to acute pneumonia have been reported to be 8-12 times higher in inpatients over 60 years of age (a high-risk group) than those in younger adults and 3-4 times higher than those in the middle-age group. The extremely severe course of pneumonia-associated influenza characterized by toxicosis, pulmonary and cardiovascular insufficiency has been observed in most death victims.