Influenza in Thailand: a case study for middle income countries.
Recent studies in Hong Kong and Singapore suggest that the annual impact of influenza in these wealthy tropical cities may be substantial, but little is known about the burden in middle-income tropical countries. We reviewed the status of influenza surveillance, vaccination, research, and policy in Thailand as of January 2004. From 1993 to 2002, 64-91 cases of clinically diagnosed influenza were reported per 100,000 persons per year. Influenza viruses were isolated in 34% of 4305 specimens submitted to the national influenza laboratory. Vaccine distribution figures suggest that less than 1% of the population is immunized against influenza each year. In January 2004, Thailand reported its first documented outbreak of influenza A H5N1 infection in poultry and the country's first human cases of avian influenza. Thailand's growing economy, well-developed public health infrastructure, and effective national immunization program could enable the country to take more active steps towards influenza control.
Simmerman
James Mark
JM
International Emerging Infections Program, Thailand MOPH--U.S. CDC Collaboration, Department of Disease Control Bldg 7, 3rd Floor, Ministry of Public Health, Tivanon Road, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand. msimmerman@cdc.goc
Thawatsupha
Pranee
P
Kingnate
Darika
D
Fukuda
Keiji
K
Chaising
Arunee
A
Dowell
Scott F
SF
D003140:Communicable Disease Control; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006291:Health Policy; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011159:Population Surveillance; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D014611:Vaccination
D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus