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. 2012 Nov 5:12:947.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-947.

Burden of influenza, healthcare seeking behaviour and hygiene measures during the A(H1N1)2009 pandemic in France: a population based study

Dieter Van Cauteren  1 , Sophie Vaux, Henriette de Valk, Yann Le Strat, Véronique Vaillant, Daniel Lévy-Bruhl
Affiliations

Burden of influenza, healthcare seeking behaviour and hygiene measures during the A(H1N1)2009 pandemic in France: a population based study

Dieter Van Cauteren et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Influenza surveillance systems do not allow the identification of the true burden of illness caused by influenza in the community because they are restricted to consulting cases. A study was conducted to estimate the incidence and the burden of self-defined influenza, and to describe healthcare seeking behavior for self-defined influenza during the A(H1N1)2009 pandemic in the French population.

Methods: We conducted a random-based retrospective cross-sectional telephone survey between May 2009 and April 2010 among a random sample of the French population.

Results: For the 10 076 people included, 107 episodes of self-defined influenza were reported. The annual incidence of self-defined influenza was estimated at 13 942 cases per 100 000 inhabitants (CI95% 10 947 - 16 961), 62.1% (CI95% 50.5 - 72.5) of cases consulted a physician and 11.3% (CI95% 5.5 - 21.7) used a face mask. Following recommendations, 37.5% (CI95% 35.5 - 39.5) of people in the survey reported washing their hands more often during the pandemic season, and there was a positive association with being vaccinated against A(H1N1)2009 influenza, being a women, being a child (< 15 years) or living in a big city (≥ 100 000 inhabitants).

Conclusions: Self-defined influenza causes a significant burden of illness in the French population and is a frequent cause for consultation. These results allow a more accurate interpretation of influenza surveillance data and an opportunity to adapt future health education messages.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Incidence of self- defined influenza, consultations for influenza- like illness (Sentinel system) and consultations for self- defined influenza by study month, France, May 2009 to April 2010.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Incidence of self- defined influenza by sex and age group, France, May 2009 to April 2010.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Pre-publication history
    1. The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/12/947/prepub

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