title: Disease burden of 2013-2014 seasonal influenza in adults in Korea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was performed to investigate the disease burden of seasonal influenza in adults ≥20 years of age in Korea, based on surveillance data from the Hospital-based Influenza Morbidity & Mortality Surveillance (HIMM) network.
  
  
  METHODS
  The HIMM network is composed of two surveillance systems: emergency room-based and inpatients-based surveillance. A total of ten university hospitals all over the country are included in the surveillance network. The adult catchment population of the HIMM network was calculated by using the data of each hospital and the database of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) of Korea. The incidence rates of laboratory-confirmed medically-attended influenza, laboratory-confirmed influenza-related admission and laboratory-confirmed influenza-related death were calculated based on the catchment population. The socioeconomic burden of influenza was estimated using the human capital approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 2013-2014 influenza season, the calculated adult catchment population of the HIMM network was 1,380,000. The incidence of medically-attended laboratory-confirmed influenza infection was 242.8 per 100,000 adults. The incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza-related admission was 57.9 per 100,000 adults. The incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza-related death was 3.1 per 100,000 adults. The total socioeconomic cost of 2013-2014 seasonal influenza in Korean adult population was estimated as 125 million USD (1 USD = 1,100 KRW).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The disease burden of 2013-2014 seasonal influenza in Korean adult population is very high and indicates that more active prevention and control policies will be needed to decrease the burden. Additional researches will be needed to assess the burden of seasonal influenza in the Korean child population.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Won Suk
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Cowling
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Yun
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Joon Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seong-Heon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wie
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Inha University Hospital, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yu Bin
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Chungbuk University Hospital, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Won
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Wonju Christian Hospital, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young Keun
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungpook National University College of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Shin-Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyong-Hwa
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.|Transgovernmental Enterprise for Pandemic Influenza in Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Woo Joo
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4546-3880
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012621:Seasons; D013997:Time Factors