title: Sentinel surveillance for influenza-like illness, severe acute respiratory illness, and laboratory-confirmed influenza in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, 2009-2011.
abstract: Little is known about influenza in central Africa. We conducted sentinel surveillance for influenza-like illness, severe acute respiratory illness, and laboratory-confirmed influenza at 5 sites in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, from January 2009 through April 2011. We obtained samples from 4156 patients, of whom 605 (15%) had specimens containing laboratory-confirmed influenza virus. Apart from the period of pandemic influenza due to influenza A virus subtype H1N1, which occurred during August-December 2009, influenza activity peaked at least once each year from January through March, predominantly among children. These data can guide interventions to reduce the burden of influenza in the Democratic Republic of Congo and central Africa.
authors.affiliation: National Reference Laboratory for Influenza, Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. jjmuyembe@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Jean Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Muyembe Tamfum
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nkwembe
authors.forename: Stomy Karhemere
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Bi Shamamba
authors.forename: Fifi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bankoshi
authors.forename: Benoit Kebela
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Ilunga
authors.forename: Kenneth A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Adam L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Joelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kabamba
authors.forename: Emile Okitolonda
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Wemankoy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D055815:Young Adult