Infections Caused by Influenza Viruses Among Children in Poland During the 2017/18 Epidemic Season

• DOI: 10.1007/5584_2019_393
• Publication Date: 2019-06-14T14:03:41Z
• Authors: K. Łuniewska; K. Szymański; E. Hallmann-Szeli...; D. Kowalczyk; R. Sałamatin; A. Masny; L. B. Brydak
• Keywords: Influenza season

Influenza is an infectious disease that is a threat to both children and adults. The most effective way to prevent infections among children is seasonal vaccination in every epidemic season, which is recommended from the age of 6 months onward. This study is a report of the prevalence of influenza infection in the population of children up to the age of 14 years and of the type of influenza virus involved during the 2017/18 epidemic season in Poland. We found that influenza A and B viruses co-dominated in the season. Among the influenza A viruses, A/H1N1/ pdm09 subtype was a more frequent source of infection than A/H3N2/ subtype. In addition, the prevalence of infection was re-analyzed in children stratified into the age groups of 0-4, 5-9, and 10-14 years old. We found a relation between the age of a child and the type of influenza virus causing infection. The youngest children under 4 years were the most vulnerable to both influenza and influenza-like infections; the former caused mostly by influenza A and the latter by RSV. In contradistinction, influenza B dominated in the oldest children aged 10-14 and RSV infections were not present in this age group. The characteristics of influenza viruses may however vary on the seasonal basis.