[Morbidity and the economic burden of influenza in children in Israel--a clinical, virologic and economic review].

Background: A survey of winter morbidity revealed a high incidence of childhood influenza. A clinical, virologic and economic survey of childhood influenza morbidity was conducted to characterize this morbidity.

Methods: Incidence of respiratory disease and influenza-like symptoms was determined among 9,300 children in the Tel Aviv area in the 1997-8 influenza season, and viral cultures performed from nasal swabs.

Evaluation of a multiplex real-time reverse transcriptase PCR assay for detection and differentiation of influenza viruses A and B during the 2001-2002 influenza season in Israel.

The ability to rapidly diagnose influenza virus infections is of the utmost importance in the evaluation of patients with upper respiratory tract infections. It is also important for the influenza surveillance activities performed by national influenza centers. In the present study we modified a multiplex real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) assay (which uses TaqMan chemistry) and evaluated it for its ability to detect and concomitantly differentiate influenza viruses A and B in 370 patient samples collected during the 2001-2002 influenza season in Israel.