Mortality amongst patients with influenza-associated severe acute respiratory illness, South Africa, 2009-2013.

Introduction: Data on the burden and risk groups for influenza-associated mortality from Africa are limited. We aimed to estimate the incidence and risk-factors for in-hospital influenza-associated severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) deaths.

Methods: Hospitalised patients with SARI were enrolled prospectively in four provinces of South Africa from 2009-2013.

Epidemiology of severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) among adults and children aged ≥5 years in a high HIV-prevalence setting, 2009-2012.

Objective: There are few published studies describing severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) epidemiology amongst older children and adults from high HIV-prevalence settings. We aimed to describe SARI epidemiology amongst individuals aged ≥5 years in South Africa.

Methods: We conducted prospective surveillance for individuals with SARI from 2009-2012.

Epidemiology of viral-associated acute lower respiratory tract infection among children <5 years of age in a high HIV prevalence setting, South Africa, 2009-2012.

Background: Data on the epidemiology of viral-associated acute lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) from high HIV prevalence settings are limited. We aimed to describe LRTI hospitalizations among South African children aged <5 years.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled hospitalized children with physician-diagnosed LRTI from 5 sites in 4 provinces from 2009 to 2012.

Severe influenza-associated respiratory infection in high HIV prevalence setting, South Africa, 2009-2011.

Data on influenza epidemiology in HIV-infected persons are limited, particularly for sub-Saharan Africa, where HIV infection is widespread. We tested respiratory and blood samples from patients with acute lower respiratory tract infections hospitalized in South Africa during 2009-2011 for viral and pneumococcal infections. Influenza was identified in 9% (1,056/11,925) of patients enrolled; among influenza case-patients, 358 (44%) of the 819 who were tested were infected with HIV.