Influenza surveillance in Zambia, 2008-2009.

Background: Limited information exists about influenza viruses in Africa. We used data from a new sentinel surveillance system to investigate the seasonality and characteristics of influenza, including pandemic (pdm) influenza A H1N1, in Zambia.

Methods: In June 2008, we established sentinel surveillance for influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) at 4 healthcare facilities in Zambia.