Incidence of hospitalization due to influenza-associated severe acute
respiratory infection during 2010-2019 in Bangladesh
Abstract
Background: Global influenza-associated acute respiratory
infections contribute to 3-5 million severe illnesses requiring
hospitalization annually, with 90% of hospitalizations occurring among
children <5 years in developing countries. In Bangladesh,
limited availability of nationally representative, robust estimates of
influenza-associated hospitalizations limit allocation of resources for
prevention and control measures. Methods: This study used data
from the Hospital Based Influenza Surveillance (HBIS) system in
Bangladesh from 2010-2019 and Healthcare Utilization Surveys to
determine hospital utilization patterns in the catchment area. We
estimated annual influenza-associated hospitalization numbers and rates
for all age groups in Bangladesh using methods outlined by the World
Health Organization and adjusted for enrolment, laboratory testing
practices, and healthcare seeking behavior. We then estimated national
hospitalization rates by multiplying age-specific hospitalization rates
with the corresponding annual national census population.
Results: Annual influenza-associated hospitalization rates per
100,000 population for all ages ranged from 31 (95% CI: 27-36) in 2011
to 139 (95% CI: 130-149) in 2019. Children <5 years old had
the highest rates of influenza-associated hospitalization, ranging from
114 (95% CI: 90-138) in 2011 to 529 (95% CI: 481-578) in 2019,
followed by adults aged ≥65 years with rates ranging from 46 (95% CI:
34-57) in 2012 to 252 (95% CI: 213-292) in 2019. The national
hospitalization estimates for all ages from 2010-2019 ranged from 47,891
to 236,380 per year. Conclusions: The impact of
influenza-associated hospitalizations in Bangladesh may be considerable,
particularly for young children and older adults. Targeted
interventions, such as influenza vaccination for these age groups,
should be prioritized and evaluated.