Predictors of severity and prolonged hospital stay of viral acute respiratory infections (ARI) among children under five years in Burkina Faso, 2016-2019.

Background: Viruses are the leading etiology of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children. However, there is limited knowledge on drivers of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases involving viruses. We aimed to identify factors associated with severity and prolonged hospitalization of viral SARI among children < 5 years in Burkina Faso.

Incidence of Laboratory-Confirmed Influenza among HIV-Infected versus HIV-Uninfected Individuals in Two Districts of Ghana, 2014 to 2016.

Influenza is known to cause severe respiratory illness in HIV-infected adults, but there are few data describing the relationship between HIV infection and influenza in West African countries such as Ghana. We conducted a prospective cohort study in the Shai-Osudoku and Ningo Prampram districts of Ghana from 2014 to 2016. Beginning May 2014, 266 HIV-infected and 510 HIV-uninfected participants age 18 to 73 years were enrolled and monitored for 12 months.

DETECTION OF NON-INFLUENZA VIRUSES IN ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS IN CHILDREN UNDER FIVE-YEAR-OLD IN COTE D'IVOIRE (JANUARY - DECEMBER 2013).

Background: Influenza sentinel surveillance in Cote d'Ivoire showed that 70% of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) cases remained without etiology. This work aims to describe the epidemiological, clinical, and virological pattern of ARI that tested negative for influenza virus, in children under five years old.

Materials And Methods: one thousand and fifty nine samples of patients presenting influenza Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) symptoms were tested for other respiratory viruses using multiplex RT-PCR assays targeting 10 respiratory viruses.

Epidemiology of influenza in West Africa after the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic, 2010-2012.

Background: Over the last decade, capacity for influenza surveillance and research in West Africa has strengthened. Data from these surveillance systems showed influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 circulated in West Africa later than in other regions of the continent.

Methods: We contacted 11 West African countries to collect information about their influenza surveillance systems (number of sites, type of surveillance, sampling strategy, populations sampled, case definitions used, number of specimens collected and number of specimens positive for influenza viruses) for the time period January 2010 through December 2012.

Investigation of an outbreak of acute respiratory disease in côte d'ivoire in april 2007.

Background: This study aim was to investigate an outbreak of human cases of unexplained influenza-like illness and fatal acute respiratory infection (ARI), with simultaneous poultry illness and high mortality raising concerns of possible influenza A (H5N1), virus in Cote d'Ivoire in February and March 2007.

Materials And Methods: To investigate the outbreak, we conducted active surveillance in the community and reviewed health registries. Persons meeting the case definition were asked to provide nasopharyngeal specimens.

Influenza surveillance in 15 countries in Africa, 2006-2010.

Background: In response to the potential threat of an influenza pandemic, several international institutions and governments, in partnership with African countries, invested in the development of epidemiologic and laboratory influenza surveillance capacity in Africa and the African Network of Influenza Surveillance and Epidemiology (ANISE) was formed.

Methods: We used a standardized form to collect information on influenza surveillance system characteristics, the number and percent of influenza-positive patients with influenza-like illness (ILI), or severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and virologic data from countries participating in ANISE.

Results: Between 2006 and 2010, the number of ILI and SARI sites in 15 African countries increased from 21 to 127 and from 2 to 98, respectively.