Predictors of Severity of Influenza-Related Hospitalizations: Results From the Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network (GIHSN).

BACKGROUND: The Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network (GIHSN) has since 2012 provided patient-level data on severe influenza-like-illnesses from >100 participating clinical sites worldwide based on a core protocol and consistent case definitions. METHODS: We used multivariable logistic regression to assess the risk of intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, and in-hospital death among hospitalized patients with influenza and explored the role of patient-level covariates and country income level. RESULTS: The data set included 73 121 patients hospitalized with respiratory illness in 22 countries, including 15 660 with laboratory-confirmed influenza. After adjusting for patient-level covariates we found a 7-fold increase in the risk of influenza-related intensive care unit admission in lower middle-income countries (LMICs), compared with high-income countries (P = .01). The risk of mechanical ventilation and in-hospital death also increased by 4-fold in LMICs, though these differences were not statistically significant. We also find that influenza mortality increased significantly with older age and number of comorbid conditions. Across all severity outcomes studied and after controlling for patient characteristics, infection with influenza A/H1N1pdm09 was more severe than with A/H3N2. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides new information on influenza severity in underresourced populations, particularly those in LMICs.

Proactive home-based malaria management in rural communities of Bassar Health District in northern Togo from 2014 to 2017: PECADOM + , a pilot experiment.

BACKGROUND: Togo's National Malaria Control Programme has initiated an active home-based malaria management model for all age groups in rural areas of Bassar Health District. This report describes the model, reports its main results, and determines the factors associated with positive rapid diagnostic test results. METHODS: From 2014 to 2017, in three peripheral care units of Bassar Health District (Binaparba, Nangbani, and Baghan), community health workers visited residents' homes weekly to identify patients with malaria symptoms, perform rapid diagnostic tests in symptomatic patients, and give medication to positive cases. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine the factors associated with positive tests. RESULTS: The study covered 11,337 people (817 in 2014, 1804 in 2015, 2638 in 2016, and 6078 in 2017). The overall mean age was 18 years (95% CI 5-29; min-max: 0-112 years). The median age was 10 years (SD: 16.9). The proportions of people tested positive were 75.3% in Binaparba, 77.4% in Nangbani, and 56.6% in Baghan. The 5-10 age group was the most affected category (24.2% positive tests). Positive tests were more frequent during the rainy than during the dry season (62 vs. 38%) and the probability of positive test was 1.76 times higher during the rainy than during the dry season (adjusted OR = 1.74; 95% CI 1.60-1.90). A fever (37.5 °C or higher) increased significantly the probability of positive test (adjusted OR = 2.19; 95% CI 1.89-2.54). The risk of positive test was 1.89 times higher in passive than in active malaria detection (adjusted OR = 1.89; 95% CI 1.73-2.0). CONCLUSIONS: This novel experimental community and home-based malaria management in Togo suggested that active detection of malaria cases is feasible within 24 h, which allows rapid treatments before progression to often-fatal complications. This PECADOM + program will help Togo's National Malaria Control Programme reduce malaria morbidity and mortality in remote and hard-to-reach communities.

Heterogeneity in practices to reduce the risk of transmission of Clostridioides difficile in healthcare settings: a survey of ESCMID Study Group for Clostridioides difficile (ESGCD) members.

Clostridioides difficile is a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections. The main objective was to assess the current landscape of CDI infection prevention and control (IPC) practices. An anonymous survey of IPC practices for CDI was conducted between July 25 and October 31, 2022. Precautions for symptomatic patients were applicable for 75.9% and were discontinued 48 h minimum after the resolution of diarrhea for 40.7% of respondents. Daily cleaning of CDI patients' rooms was reported by 23 (42.6%). There was unexpected heterogeneity in IPC practices regarding the hospital management of CDI.

American Society of Anesthesiologists-Physical Status Classification As An Independent Risk Factor of Surgical Site Infection After Infra-Inguinal Arterial Bypass.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to assess whether high-risk American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)-Physical Status was an independent risk factor for the development of surgical site infection (SSI) after infra-inguinal lower extremity bypass (LEB). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The ASA-Physical Status Classification System assesses the overall physical status preoperatively. ASA-Physical Status is associated with postoperative morbidity and mortality. However, limited data are available on how ASA-Physical Status Class affects the development of SSI after infra-inguinal LEB. METHODS: Patients who had undergone infra-inguinal LEB from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2018, for obliterative arteriopathy or popliteal aneurysm at our university hospital were included. SSI risk factors were identified using multivariable logistic regression. The length of hospital stay, major limb events (MALE), major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), and all-cause mortality were compared for patients with SSI versus those without SSI 3 months and 1- year of follow-up after the index surgery. RESULTS: Among the 267 patients included, 30 (11.2%) developed SSI during the 3-month period and 32 (12%) at 1 year. ASA-Physical Status ≥3 [odds ratio (OR): 3.7, 95% confidence interval CI) 1.5-11.1], emergency surgery (OR: 2.7, 95% CI 1.2-6.0), general anesthesia (OR: 2.8, 95% CI 1.3-6.1), and procedure performed by a junior surgeon (OR: 2.7, 95% CI 1.3-6.0) were independently associated with SSI. At 3 months and 1 year, SSI was significantly associated with MALE (including surgical wound debridement, subsequent thrombectomy, major amputation), length of hospital stay, and all-cause mortality. CONCLUSION: The ASA-Physical Status should be considered in medical management when an infra-inguinal LEB is considered in frail patients, to prevent surgical complications.

Burden of influenza in the elderly: a narrative review.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review provides an update on specificities of influenza in older adults (≥65-year-old), including epidemiology, burden in terms of hospitalization and mortality, extra-respiratory complications and specific challenges of prevention. RECENT FINDINGS: In the past 2 years, influenza activity was drastically reduced by barrier measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent French epidemiological study covering 2010-2018 epidemic seasons estimated that 75% of costs induced by influenza-associated hospitalizations and complications were attributable to older adults, a population bearing more than 90% of influenza-associated excess mortality.In addition to their age, comorbidities and reduced vaccine response, long-term facility residents are at risk for nosocomial outbreaks. Beyond respiratory complications, influenza triggers acute myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. Influenza might drive significant functional loss in frail older adults, which can lead to "catastrophic" or severe disability in up to 10% of patients. Vaccination remains the cornerstone of prevention, with enhanced immunization strategies (i.e., high-dose or adjuvanted formulations) to be largely implemented in older adults. Efforts to increase influenza vaccination uptake during the COVID-19 pandemic should be consolidated. SUMMARY: Burden of influenza in the elderly is largely under-recognized, especially the cardiovascular complications and the impact on functional status, justifying more effective preventive strategies.

Attributable Mortality of Ventilator-associated Pneumonia Among Patients with COVID-19.

Rationale: Patients with a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are at higher risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and may have an increased attributable mortality (increased or decreased risk of death if VAP occurs in a patient) and attributable fraction (proportion of deaths that are attributable to an exposure) of VAP-related mortality compared with subjects without coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Objectives: Estimation of the attributable mortality of the VAP among patients with COVID-19. Methods: Using the REA-REZO surveillance network, three groups of adult medical ICU patients were computed: control group (patients admitted between 2016 and 2019; prepandemic patients), pandemic COVID-19 group (PandeCOV+), and pandemic non-COVID-19 group (PandeCOV-) admitted during 2020. The primary outcome was the estimation of attributable mortality and attributable fraction related to VAP in these patients. Using multistate modeling with causal inference, the outcomes related to VAP were also evaluated. Measurements and Main Results: A total of 64,816 patients were included in the control group, 7,442 in the PandeCOV- group, and 1,687 in the PandeCOV+ group. The incidence of VAP was 14.2 (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.9 to 14.6), 18.3 (95% CI, 17.3 to 19.4), and 31.9 (95% CI, 29.8 to 34.2) per 1,000 ventilation-days in each group, respectively. Attributable mortality at 90 days was 3.15% (95%, CI, 2.04% to 3.43%), 2.91% (95% CI, -0.21% to 5.02%), and 8.13% (95% CI, 3.54% to 12.24%), and attributable fraction of mortality at 90 days was 1.22% (95% CI, 0.83 to 1.63), 1.42% (95% CI, -0.11% to 2.61%), and 9.17% (95% CI, 3.54% to 12.24%) for the control, PandeCOV-, and PandeCOV+ groups, respectively. Except for the higher risk of developing VAP, the PandeCOV- group shared similar VAP characteristics with the control group. PandeCOV+ patients were at lower risk of death without VAP (hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.52 to 0.74) than the control group. Conclusions: VAP-attributable mortality was higher for patients with COVID-19, with more than 9% of the overall mortality related to VAP.

Minimising school disruption under high incidence conditions due to the Omicron variant in France, Switzerland, Italy, in January 2022.

BackgroundAs record cases of Omicron variant were registered in Europe in early 2022, schools remained a vulnerable setting undergoing large disruption.AimThrough mathematical modelling, we compared school protocols of reactive screening, regular screening, and reactive class closure implemented in France, in Baselland (Switzerland), and in Italy, respectively, and assessed them in terms of case prevention, testing resource demand, and schooldays lost.MethodsWe used a stochastic agent-based model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in schools accounting for within- and across-class contacts from empirical contact data. We parameterised it to the Omicron BA.1 variant to reproduce the French Omicron wave in January 2022. We simulated the three protocols to assess their costs and effectiveness for varying peak incidence rates in the range experienced by European countries.ResultsWe estimated that at the high incidence rates registered in France during the Omicron BA.1 wave in January 2022, the reactive screening protocol applied in France required higher test resources compared with the weekly screening applied in Baselland (0.50 vs 0.45 tests per student-week), but achieved considerably lower control (8% vs 21% reduction of peak incidence). The reactive class closure implemented in Italy was predicted to be very costly, leading to > 20% student-days lost.ConclusionsAt high incidence conditions, reactive screening protocols generate a large and unplanned demand in testing resources, for marginal control of school transmissions. Comparable or lower resources could be more efficiently used through weekly screening. Our findings can help define incidence levels triggering school protocols and optimise their cost-effectiveness.

A third vaccine dose equalises the levels of effectiveness and immunogenicity of heterologous or homologous COVID-19 vaccine regimens, Lyon, France, December 2021 to March 2022.

BackgroundTo cope with the persistence of the COVID-19 epidemic and the decrease in antibody levels following vaccination, a third dose of vaccine has been recommended in the general population. However, several vaccine regimens had been used initially for the primary vaccination course, and the heterologous Vaxzevria/Comirnaty regimen had shown better efficacy and immunogenicity than the homologous Comirnaty/Comirnaty regimen.AimWe wanted to determine if this benefit was retained after a third dose of an mRNA vaccine.MethodsWe combined an observational epidemiological study of SARS-CoV-2 infections among vaccinated healthcare workers at the University Hospital of Lyon, France, with a prospective cohort study to analyse immunological parameters before and after the third mRNA vaccine dose.ResultsFollowing the second vaccine dose, heterologous vaccination regimens were more protective against infection than homologous regimens (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 1.88; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.18-3.00; p = 0.008), but this was no longer the case after the third dose (adjusted HR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.72-1.02; p = 0.082). Receptor-binding domain-specific IgG levels and serum neutralisation capacity against different SARS-CoV-2 variants were higher after the third dose than after the second dose in the homologous regimen group, but not in the heterologous group.ConclusionThe advantage conferred by heterologous vaccination was lost after the third dose in terms of both protection and immunogenicity. Immunological measurements 1 month after vaccination suggest that heterologous vaccination induces maximal immunity after the second dose, whereas the third dose is required to reach the same level in individuals with a homologous regimen.

In-hospital and midterm post-discharge complications of adults hospitalised with respiratory syncytial virus infection in France, 2017-2019: an observational study.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics and in-hospital and post-discharge outcomes of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection among adults hospitalised with influenza-like illness (ILI) and compared against patients admitted for influenza. METHODS: Adults hospitalised with ILI were prospectively included from five French university hospitals over two consecutive winter seasons (2017/2018 and 2018/2019). RSV and influenza virus were detected by multiplex reverse transcription PCR on nasopharyngeal swabs. RSV-positive patients were compared to RSV-negative and influenza-positive hospitalised patients. Poisson regression models were used to estimate the adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) associated with in-hospital and post-discharge outcomes between RSV and influenza infections. The in-hospital outcome was a composite of the occurrence of at least one complication, length of stay ≥7 days, intensive care unit admission, use of mechanical ventilation and in-hospital death. Post-discharge outcome included 30- and 90-day all-cause mortality and 90-day readmission rates. RESULTS: Overall, 1428 hospitalised adults with ILI were included. RSV was detected in 8% (114 of 1428) and influenza virus in 31% (437 of 1428). Patients hospitalised with RSV were older than those with influenza (mean age 73.0 versus 68.8 years, p=0.015) with a higher frequency of chronic respiratory or cardiac disease (52% versus 39%, p=0.012, and 52% versus 41%, p=0.039, respectively) and longer hospitalisation duration (median stay 8 versus 6 days, p<0.001). Anti-influenza therapies were less prescribed among RSV patients than influenza patients (20% versus 66%, p<0.001). In-hospital composite outcome was poorer in RSV patients (aPR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.1) than in those hospitalised with influenza. No difference was observed for the post-discharge composite outcome (aPR 1.1, 95% CI 0.8-1.6). CONCLUSION: RSV infection results in serious respiratory illness, with worse in-hospital outcomes than influenza and with similar midterm post-discharge outcomes.

Increased Incidence of Ventilator-Acquired Pneumonia in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients: A Multicentric Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the epidemiology of ventilator-acquired pneumonia among coronavirus disease 2019 patients such as incidence or etiological agents. Some studies suggest a higher risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia in this specific population. DESIGN: Cohort exposed/nonexposed study among the REA-REZO surveillance network. SETTING: Multicentric; ICUs in France. PATIENTS: The coronavirus disease 2019 patients at admission were matched on the age, sex, center of inclusion, presence of antimicrobial therapy at admission, patient provenance, time from ICU admission to mechanical ventilation, and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II at admission to the patients included between 2016 and 2019 within the same surveillance network (1:1). INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The overall incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia, the cumulative incidence, and hazard rate of the first and the second ventilator-associated pneumonia were estimated. In addition, the ventilator-associated pneumonia microbiological ecology and specific resistant pattern in coronavirus disease 2019 exposed and nonexposed patients were compared. Medication data were not collected. A total of 1,879 patients were included in each group. The overall incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia was higher among coronavirus disease 2019 exposed patients (25.5; 95% CI [23.7-27.45] vs 15.4; 95% CI [13.7-17.3] ventilator-associated pneumonia per 1,000 ventilation days). The cumulative incidence was higher for the first and the second ventilator-associated pneumonia among the coronavirus disease 2019 exposed patients (respective Gray test p < 0.0001 and 0.0167). The microbiological ecology and resistance were comparable between groups with a predominance of Enterobacterales and nonfermenting Gram-negative bacteria. The documented resistance pattern was similar between groups, except for a lower rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the coronavirus disease 2019 exposed patient (6% vs 23%; p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: There was a higher incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia occurring among coronavirus disease 2019 patient compared with the general ICU population, with a similar microbiological ecology and resistance pattern.

Factors associated with the nutritional status of children under 5 years of age in Guinea between 2005 and 2018.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors associated with the nutritional status of children under 5 years of age in Guinea between 2005 and 2018. DESIGN: Data from the 2005, 2012 and 2018 Guinea Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) were used for this study. Three anthropometric indicators (stunting, underweight and wasting) were assessed according to the 2006 WHO Child Growth Standards and analysed according to the year, the characteristics of the household, the child and the mother using multivariate logistic regression. SETTING: Data were collected in the capital Conakry and in the seven administrative regions of Guinea. PARTICIPANTS: The study included children under 5 years of age for whom height and weight were available: 2765 (DHS-2005), 3220 (DHS-2012) and 3551 (DHS-2018). RESULTS: Analysis of the data from the three surveys showed that children living in rural areas were more likely to be stunted than children living in urban areas (OR = 1·32, 95 % CI (1·08, 1·62)). Similarly, the children from middle, poor and the poorest households were more likely to be stunted and underweight than children from richest households. The chance to stunting increased with age in the first 3 years. However, the chance to wasting decreased with age. Children in all age groups were more likely of being underweight. Children of thin mothers were more likely to be both wasted (OR = 2·0, 95 % CI (1·5, 2·6)) and underweight (OR = 1·9, 95 % CI (1·5, 2·3)). CONCLUSION: The implementation of targeted interventions adapted to the observed disparities could considerably improve the nutritional status of children and mothers.

National influenza surveillance systems in five European countries: a qualitative comparative framework based on WHO guidance.

BACKGROUND: Influenza surveillance systems vary widely between countries and there is no framework to evaluate national surveillance systems in terms of data generation and dissemination. This study aimed to develop and test a comparative framework for European influenza surveillance. METHODS: Surveillance systems were evaluated qualitatively in five European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom) by a panel of influenza experts and researchers from each country. Seven surveillance sub-systems were defined: non-medically attended community surveillance, virological surveillance, community surveillance, outbreak surveillance, primary care surveillance, hospital surveillance, mortality surveillance). These covered a total of 19 comparable outcomes of increasing severity, ranging from non-medically attended cases to deaths, which were evaluated using 5 comparison criteria based on WHO guidance (granularity, timing, representativeness, sampling strategy, communication) to produce a framework to compare the five countries. RESULTS: France and the United Kingdom showed the widest range of surveillance sub-systems, particularly for hospital surveillance, followed by Germany, Spain, and Italy. In all countries, virological, primary care and hospital surveillance were well developed, but non-medically attended events, influenza cases in the community, outbreaks in closed settings and mortality estimates were not consistently reported or published. The framework also allowed the comparison of variations in data granularity, timing, representativeness, sampling strategy, and communication between countries. For data granularity, breakdown per risk condition were available in France and Spain, but not in the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. For data communication, there were disparities in the timeliness and accessibility of surveillance data. CONCLUSIONS: This new framework can be used to compare influenza surveillance systems qualitatively between countries to allow the identification of structural differences as well as to evaluate adherence to WHO guidance. The framework may be adapted for other infectious respiratory diseases.

A Conceptual Discussion About the Basic Reproduction Number of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Healthcare Settings.

To date, no specific estimate of R0 for SARS-CoV-2 is available for healthcare settings. Using interindividual contact data, we highlight that R0 estimates from the community cannot translate directly to healthcare settings, with pre-pandemic R0 values ranging 1.3-7.7 in 3 illustrative healthcare institutions. This has implications for nosocomial COVID-19 control.

Incidence of Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Influenza Among Healthcare Workers: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Influenza is an important cause of viral hospital-acquired infection involving patients, healthcare workers (HCW), and visitors. The frequency of asymptomatic influenza among HCW with possible subsequent transmission is poorly described. The objective is to determine the cumulative incidence of asymptomatic, paucisymptomatic, and symptomatic influenza among HCW. METHOD: A multicenter prospective cohort study was done in 5 French university hospitals, including 289 HCW during the 2016-2017 influenza season. HCW had 3 physical examinations (time [T] 0, before epidemic onset; T.1, before epidemic peak; T.2, T.3, after epidemic peak). A blood sample was taken each time for influenza serology and a nasal swab was collected at T1 and T2 for influenza detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Positive influenza was defined as either a positive influenza PCR, and/or virus-specific seroconversion against influenza A, the only circulating virus, with no vaccination record during follow-up. Symptoms were self-reported daily between T1 and T2. Cumulative incidence of influenza was stratified by clinical presentation per 100 HCW. RESULTS: Of the 289 HCW included, 278 (96%) completed the entire follow-up. Overall, 62 HCW had evidence of influenza of whom 46.8% were asymptomatic, 41.9% were paucisymptomatic, and 11.3% were symptomatic. Cumulative influenza incidence was 22.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 17.4%-27.2%). Cumulative incidence of asymptomatic influenza was 5.8% (95% CI: 3.3%-9.2%), 13.7% (95% CI: 9.9%-18.2%) for paucisymptomatic influenza, and 2.9% (95% CI: 1.3%-5.5%) for symptomatic influenza. CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic and paucisymptomatic influenza were frequent among HCW, representing 47% and 42% of the influenza burden, respectively. These findings highlight the importance of systematic implementation of infection control measures among HCW regardless of respiratory symptoms from preventing nosocomial transmission of influenza. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT02868658.

Prognostic factors of severe community-acquired staphylococcal pneumonia in France.

PURPOSE: Staphylococcus aureus causes severe forms of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), namely staphylococcal pleuropneumonia in young children and staphylococcal necrotising pneumonia in older patients. Methicillin resistance and the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) toxin, as well as less specific factors, have been associated with poor outcome in severe CAP, but their roles are unclear. METHODS: A prospective multicentre cohort study of severe staphylococcal CAP was conducted in 77 paediatric and adult intensive care units in France between January 2011 and December 2016. After age-clustering, risk factors for mortality, including pre-existing conditions, clinical presentation, laboratory features, strain genetic lineage, PVL, other virulence factors and methicillin resistance were assessed using univariate and multivariable Cox and LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) regressions. RESULTS: Out of 163 included patients, aged 1 month to 87 years, 85 (52.1%) had PVL-positive CAP; there were 20 (12.3%) patients aged <3 years (hereafter "toddlers"), among whom 19 (95%) had PVL-positive CAP. The features of PVL-positive CAP in toddlers matched with the historical description of staphylococcal pleuropneumonia, with a lower mortality (three (15%) out of 19) compared to PVL-positive CAP in older patients (31 (47%) out of 66). Mortality in older patients was predicted by PVL-positivity (hazard ratio (HR) 1.81, 95% CI 1.03-3.17) and methicillin resistance (HR 2.37, 95% CI 1.29-4.34) independently from S. aureus lineages and the presence of other determinants of virulence. CONCLUSION: PVL was associated with staphylococcal pleuropneumonia in toddlers and was a risk factor for mortality in older patients with severe CAP, independently of methicillin resistance, S. aureus genetic background and other virulence factors.

Tobacco smoking and severity of COVID-19: Experience from a hospital-based prospective cohort study in Lyon, France.

Information gathered so far from published studies attest the existence of a complex relationship between tobacco smoking and the severity of COVID-19. We investigated the association between smoking habits and the severity of COVID-19 in patients hospitalized in university-affiliated hospitals in Lyon, France. Baseline sociodemographic, clinical and biological characteristics of adult COVID-19 hospitalized patients presenting from the community were prospectively collected and analyzed. Tobacco exposure was documented at admission. Characteristics of patients hospitalized in medical wards to those admitted or transferred to intensive care units (ICUs) were compared using Mann-Whitney and Χ2 or Fisher's exact test. A composite endpoint including admission or transfer to ICU or death was created as a proxy for severe outcome. Adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated to identify variables independently associated with a severe outcome. Of the 645 patients with documented information on smoking habits, 62.6% were never-smokers, 32.1% ex-smokers, and 5.3% active smokers. Past tobacco use was independently associated with an increased risk of severe outcome (aOR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.12-2.63), whereas a nonsignificant protective trend was found for active smoking. The results suggest that past smoking is associated with enhanced risk of progressing toward severe COVID-19 disease in hospitalized patients.

Comparison of influenza surveillance systems in Australia, China, Malaysia and expert recommendations for influenza control.

BACKGROUND: The Western Pacific Region (WPR) is exposed each year to seasonal influenza and is often the source of new influenza virus variants and novel pathogen emergence. National influenza surveillance systems play a critical role in detecting emerging viruses, monitoring influenza epidemics, improving public disease awareness and promoting pandemic preparedness, but vary widely across WPR countries. The aim of this study is to improve existing influenza surveillance systems by systematically comparing selected WPR influenza surveillance systems. METHODS: Three national influenza surveillance systems with different levels of development (Australia, China and Malaysia) were compared and their adherence to World Health Organization (WHO) guidance was evaluated using a structured framework previously tested in several European countries consisting of seven surveillance sub-systems, 19 comparable outcomes and five evaluation criteria. Based on the results, experts from the Asia-Pacific Alliance for the Control of Influenza (APACI) issued recommendations for the improvement of existing surveillance systems. RESULTS: Australia demonstrated the broadest scope of influenza surveillance followed by China and Malaysia. In Australia, surveillance tools covered all sub-systems. In China, surveillance did not cover non-medically attended respiratory events, primary care consultations, and excess mortality modelling. In Malaysia, surveillance consisted of primary care and hospital sentinel schemes. There were disparities between the countries across the 5 evaluation criteria, particularly regarding data granularity from health authorities, information on data representativeness, and data communication, especially the absence of publicly available influenza epidemiological reports in Malaysia. This dual approach describing the scope of surveillance and evaluating the adherence to WHO guidance enabled APACI experts to make a number of recommendations for each country that included but were not limited to introducing new surveillance tools, broadening the use of specific existing surveillance tools, collecting and sharing data on virus characteristics, developing immunization status registries, and improving public health communication. CONCLUSIONS: Influenza monitoring in Australia, China, and Malaysia could benefit from the expansion of existing surveillance sentinel schemes, the broadened use of laboratory confirmation and the introduction of excess-mortality modelling. The results from the evaluation can be used as a basis to support expert recommendations and to enhance influenza surveillance capabilities.

Characteristics of the delayed respiratory syncytial virus epidemic, 2020/2021, Rhône Loire, France.

The Rhône-Loire metropolitan areas' 2020/21 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemic was delayed following the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI), compared with previous seasons. Very severe lower respiratory tract infection incidence among infants ≤ 3 months decreased twofold, the proportion of cases among children aged > 3 months to 5 years increased, and cases among adults > 65 years were markedly reduced. NPI appeared to reduce the RSV burden among at-risk groups, and should be promoted to minimise impact of future RSV outbreaks.

Establishment of a French surveillance system of Clostridiodes difficile infection: Comparison of patient's characteristics with other national and European data.

INTRODUCTION: The magnitude and scope of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) has changed with an increase in incidence and severity. The epidemiology of CDI is not well known in France due to difficulties to conduct large continuous surveillance. The objectives were to compare the characteristics of patients with CDI collected through repeated point prevalence survey via DIFTEC™, a free electronic tool, with those from previous French or European studies. METHODS: DIFTEC™ was developed to evaluate epidemiological burden, diagnostic strategies and management of CDI in France. National and European guidelines were used for definitions. A literature review of studies conducted in Western Europe on CDI and published between January 2008 and May 2018 was done to compare their data with those included in the DIFTEC™ database. RESULTS: From January 2016, to December 2017, 455 CDI episodes from 22 French hospitals were included. Most of CDI cases were health-care associated (HCA) (78%). The comparison between included patients and French literature data showed that the rates of previous antibiotics exposure, crude mortality and recurrence were not statistically different. However HCA-CDI was significantly more frequent in the DIFTEC™ study. Gender distribution, recurrence and crude mortality rates were not statistically different compared to European data. HCA-CDI was more frequent in the DIFTEC™ study whereas previous treatment with proton pump inhibitors and antibiotics were significantly higher in European studies. DISCUSSION: These results illustrated the added value of a new tool for increasing the reliable knowledge of CDI in France based on epidemiological surveillance implemented in health-care settings.

Serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Children Aged <5 Years Hospitalized With or Without Pneumonia in Developing and Emerging Countries: A Descriptive, Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: Improving knowledge regarding Streptococcus pneumoniae distribution in pneumonia cases is important to better target preventive and curative measures. The objective was to describe S. pneumoniae serotypes in children with or without pneumonia. METHODS: It was a case-control study carried out in 8 developing and emerging countries between 2010 and 2014. Cases were children aged <5 years admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. Controls were children admitted for surgery or routine outpatient care. RESULTS: In nasopharyngeal samples, S. pneumoniae were detected in 68.2% of the cases and 47.5% of the controls (P < .001). Nasopharyngeal carriage was associated with a higher risk of being a case in 6/8 study sites (adjusted odds ratio ranged from 0.71 [95% confidence interval [CI], .39-1.29; P = .26] in India [Pune/Vadu] to 11.86 [95% CI, 5.77-24.41; P < .001] in Mongolia). The 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) serotypes were more frequently detected in cases with nasopharyngeal carriage (67.1%) than in controls with nasopharyngeal carriage (54.6%), P < .001. Streptococcus pneumoniae was detected in blood by polymerase chain reaction in 8.3% of the cases. Of 34 cases with an S. pneumoniae serotype detected in blood, 27 (79%) had the same serotype in the nasopharyngeal sample. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm the assumption that the isolate carrying or causing disease in an individual is of the same serotype. Most serotypes independently associated with nasopharyngeal carriage or pneumonia are covered by PCV13, suggesting that increased PCV coverage would reduce the burden of S. pneumoniae-related pneumonia.