Volume 15, Number 8—August 2009
Policy Review
Strategy to Enhance Influenza Surveillance Worldwide1
Justin R. Ortiz, Viviana Sotomayor, Osvaldo C. Uez, Otavio Oliva, Deborah Bettels, Margaret McCarron, Joseph S. Bresee, and Anthony W. Mounts
Table 1
Influenza sentinel surveillance case definitions*
| Case | Definition criteria |
|---|---|
| Influenza-like illness |
ALL OF THE FOLLOWING
• Sudden onset of fever >38°C, AND
• Cough or sore throat, AND
• Absence of other diagnoses |
| Severe acute respiratory infection in persons >5 years of age |
ALL OF THE FOLLOWING
• Sudden onset of fever >38°C, AND
• Cough or sore throat, AND
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, AND
• Requires hospitalization |
| Severe acute respiratory infection in persons <5 years of age | EITHER IMCI criteria for pneumonia Any child 2 mo to 5 y of age with cough or difficult breathing and: • breathing faster than 60 breaths/min (infants <2 mo) • breathing faster than 50 breaths/min (2–12 mo) • breathing faster than 40 breaths/min (1–5 y) OR IMCI criteria for severe pneumonia Any child 2 mo to 5 y of age with cough or difficult breathing and any of the following general danger signs: • unable to drink or breastfeed • vomits everything • convulsions • lethargic or unconscious • chest indrawing or stridor in a calm child AND Requires hospital admission |
