Original scientific paper
Influenza epidemiology in Croatia and preparations for potential pandemic
Ira Gjenero-Margan
Borislav Aleraj
Bernard Kaić
Željko Baklaić
Mate Ljubičić
Branko Kolarić
Vladimir Draženović
Abstract
Surveillance of influenza in Croatia is based on notification of disease/death due to communicable diseases that are reported within 24 hours (during the influenza season weekly aggregated reports are submitted) to the Epidemiology Service of the Croatian National Institute of Public Health (CNIPH). Field investigation of each cluster is conducted and samples are sent to the CNIPH National laboratory for influenza. The registered influenza morbidity in Croatia amounts to up to 191,000 cases annually, oscillating, in the interpandemic period, from several thousand to over 190,000. Average annual notification rate during last five years was 168/10000 inhabitants. Based on health service notification in the season 1957/58, Asian influenza pandemic A/Singapore/H2N2 caused illness in more than 500,000 people. The Hong Kong pandemic influenza (A/Hong Kong/H3N2) was registered in Croatia in the 1967/68 and 1969/70 season. Total number of notified influenza cases during that period was 582,000 people (14% of inhabitants). During the Hong Kong influenza pandemic morbidity higher than 1,000/10,000 inhabitants was recorded both in children aged 7?19 years and in persons aged 20+ years. The Preparedness Plan for Pandemic influenza is based on historical morbidity data in previous pandemic influenza outbreaks in the country. The brief overview of preparedness plan was given using the phases of interpandemic and pandemic period according to the latest agreed definitions published by the WHO.
Keywords
Influenza; Epidemiology; Croatia; Preparedness plan; Pandemic
Hrčak ID:
7741
URI
Publication date:
25.11.2006.
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