ArticleBMC infectious diseases2020
The burden of laboratory-confirmed influenza infection in Lebanon between 2008 and 2016: a single tertiary care center experience.
Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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9 citing papers in PubMed.
- Production of a Health Awareness Video on Precautionary Measures Against Respiratory Infectious Diseases for Public Transportation Drivers: Protocol for a Scoping Review, a Delphi Study, and a Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Shifting respiratory pathogens: Post-COVID-19 trends in community-acquired infections in underserved communities.PloS one · 2025Article
- Epidemiologic characteristics and clinical outcomes of respiratory syncytial virus in hospitalized care in Lebanon: a prospective observational study.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025Observational
- Incidence of influenza virus-associated Severe Acute Respiratory Infections in three districts in 2018 at Gharbia governorate, Egypt.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Article
- Incidence and seroprevalence of seasonal influenza a viruses in Egypt: Results of a community-based cohort study.Influenza and other respiratory viruses · 2022Article
- The impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on ED visits in Lebanon.The American journal of emergency medicine · 2021Article
- Behavior of hospitalized severe influenza cases according to the outcome variable in Catalonia, Spain, during the 2017-2018 season.Scientific reports · 2021Observational
- Addressing Influenza Vaccination in MENA Region during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Decreasing the Effects of the Collision.Oman medical journal · 2020Article
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19 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundInfluenza is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Following the 2009 pandemic, there was widened interest in studying influenza burden in all regions. However, since data from the World Health Organization (WHO) Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remain limited, we aimed to contribute to the understanding of influenza burden in Lebanon.
methodsA retrospective chart review extending over a period of 8 seasons from Jan 1st, 2008 till June 30th, 2016 at a tertiary care center in Beirut was performed. All cases confirmed to have influenza based on rapid antigen detection or/and polymerase chain reaction on a respiratory sample were included for analysis. Data on epidemiology, clinical presentation, complications, antiviral use and mortality were collected for analysis.
resultsA total of 1829 cases of laboratory-confirmed influenza were identified. Average annual positivity rate was 14% (positive tests over total requested). Both influenza A and B co-circulated in each season with predominance of influenza A. Influenza virus started circulating in December and peaked in January and February. The age group of 19-50 years accounted for the largest proportion of cases (22.5%) followed by the age group of 5-19 years (18%). Pneumonia was the most common complication reported in 33% of cases. Mortality reached 3.8%. The two extremes of age (< 2 years and ≥ 65 years) were associated with a more severe course of disease, hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, complications, and mortality rate. Of all the identified cases, 26% were hospitalized. Moderate-to-severe disease was more likely in influenza B cases but no difference in mortality was reported between the two types. Antivirals were prescribed in 68.8% and antibiotics in 41% of cases. There seemed to be an increasing trend in the number of diagnosed and hospitalized cases over the years of the study.
conclusionPatients with laboratory-confirmed influenza at our center had a high rate of hospitalization and mortality. A population based prospective surveillance study is needed to better estimate the burden of Influenza in Lebanon that would help formulate a policy on influenza control.
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