title: Five years of hospital based surveillance of influenza-like illness and influenza in a short-stay geriatric unit.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Data on influenza in the healthcare setting are often based on retrospective investigations of outbreaks and a few studies described influenza during several consecutive seasons.The aim of the present work is to report data on influenza like illness (ILI) and influenza from 5-year prospective surveillance in a short-stay geriatrics unit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A short stay geriatrics unit underwent 5 years of ILI surveillance from November 2004 to March 2009, with the aim of describing ILI in a non-outbreak context. The study was proposed to patients who presented ILI, defined as fever >37.8°C or cough or sore throat. Among 1,353 admitted patients, 115 presented an ILI, and 34 had hospital-acquired ILI (HA-ILI). Influenza was confirmed in 23 patients, 13 of whom had been vaccinated. Overall attack rates were 2.78% and 0.02% for HA-ILI and HA-confirmed influenza respectively, during the 5 seasons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This 5-year surveillance study supports the notion that influenza infections are common in hospitals, mostly impacting the elderly hospitalized in short-stay units. It highlights the need for appropriate control measures to prevent HA-ILI in geriatric units and protect elderly patients.
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Régis
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Voirin
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Escuret
authors.forename: Byeul-A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lina
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Comte
authors.affiliation: Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, 8 avenue Rockefeller, Lyon F-69373, France. philippe.vanhems@chu-lyon.fr.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vanhems
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003371:Cough / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors