RESULTS OF EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE OF INFLUENZA AND CHARACTERISTICS OF NOSOCOMIAL OUTBREAKS OF INFLUENZA IN THE CITY OF NOVI SAD, VOJVODINA, SERBIA

Introduction: Although influenza is longest and most studied infectious disease, to date, not much has been achieved in preventing and combating this disease.
Objective: Determine relationship between surveillance and activity of influenza virus.
Materials and Methods: Data for the analysis were epidemiological surveillance of influenza through sentinel surveillance, virological surveillance, surveillance of severe acute respiratory distress infection/syndrome and surveillance in medical clinic where outbreak registered.
Results: 35 patients with comorbidities, out of the 138 hospitalized, were registered with influenza virus at three internal medicine clinics in influenza outbreak. Fatal outcome was registered with 4 patients. All patients’ diagnoses were confirmed with real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) technique. According to the results of sentinel surveillance of influenza - like illness (ILI), the incidence rate of ILI was above the epidemic threshold of Vojvodina (246.3/100,000) in the period from week 6 (04-10 February, 2013) to week 11 in 2013 (March 11-17, 2013), and influenza outbreak in Novi Sad lasted throughout the middle of this period (February 05-24, 2013).
In the outbreak, the cause of the disease was the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus with 83% (29/35) of patients. At the same time, viruses that caused the outbreak were registered with the general population and were present in the recommended vaccine for the prevention of influenza for the 2012-2013 season. The outbreak was detected on February 14, 2013 and it lasted for another 10 days after the proposed suppression measures.
Conclusion: The quality surveillance of influenza, can be crucial in predicting the occurrence outbreak of influenza, control and prevention of outbreak.