Clinical features of Malaysian children hospitalized with community-acquired seasonal influenza.

Objectives: The clinical impact of seasonal influenza is understudied in tropical countries. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical features and seasonal pattern of influenza in children hospitalized in Malaysia, and to identify predictors of severe disease.

Methods: Children hospitalized with community-acquired, laboratory-confirmed influenza at a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during 2002-2007 were identified retrospectively.