An outbreak of influenza A (H3N2) in a hospital for the elderly with emphasis on pulmonary complications.
From Dec 1, 1985 to Jan 18, 1986, 133 of 379 (35.1%) mainly elderly in-patients at a hospital in Fukuoka City were infected with influenza virus A (H3N2). In 32 of the 133 (24.1%) infected with the virus, pneumonia occurred. The occurrence was significantly higher in man (33.1%) than in women (17.1%) (p less than 0.05), and the same occurrence was found to be higher in bed-ridden patients (32.7%) than in ambulatory patients (17.3%) (p less than 0.05). It was also higher in those age 70 or older (25.4%) than in those 69 years or younger (17.4%), but with no statistical difference. Seven men and one woman, all 70 years old or older, infected with the virus died of pneumonia. The overall case-fatality ratio was 6.0%. Thus, male bed-ridden patients aged 70 years or older are highly vulnerable to pneumonia in case of infection with influenza virus A.
First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
S
S
Kashiwagi
H
H
Ikematsu
J
J
Hayashi
H
H
Nomura
W
W
Kajiyama
M
M
Kaji
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006782:Hospitals, Special; D006801:Humans; D053122:Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype; D009980:Influenza A virus; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*