Influenza and influenza-like viruses: Frequent infections in children under 14 years of age during the 2016/2017 epidemic season

Abstract

Influenza is an infectious disease that is a common cause of infection among children. The main reason for it is the extremely low percentage of vaccinated people in Poland. In the 2016/2017 epidemic season more than 3,000 tests from children up to age 14 were examined. The dominance of subtype A/H3N2/ (40.9%) was confirmed. The evaluation was stratified by three age groups (0–4, 5–9, and 10–14 years), which revealed significant differences. The highest number of samples was available in the 0–4 years group. The highest percentage of positive samples was present in the 10–14 years group. Influenza-like viral infections, among them the respiratory syncytial virus, were also observed. Children due to immature immunity are at particular risk for influenza. A lack of proper vaccination coverage strongly increases the chance of serious complications of the infection.