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Abstract

Introduction

Recent data on influenza C virus indicate a possible higher clinical impact in specified patient populations than previously thought.

Aim

We aimed to investigate influenza C virus circulation in Germany.

Methods

A total of 1,588 samples from 0 to 4 year-old children presenting as outpatients with influenza-like illness (ILI) or acute respiratory infection were analysed retrospectively. The samples represented a subset of all samples from the German national surveillance system for influenza in this age group in 2012–14. The presence of influenza C virus was investigated by real-time PCR. For positive samples, information on symptoms as well as other respiratory virus co-infections was considered. Retrieved influenza C viral sequences were phylogenetically characterised.

Results

Influenza C viral RNA was detected in 20 (1.3% of) samples, including 16 during the 2012/13 season. The majority (18/20) of influenza C-positive patients had ILI according to the European Union definition, one patient had pneumonia. Viruses belonged to the C/Sao Paulo and C/Kanagawa lineages. Most (11/20) samples were co-infected with other respiratory viruses.

Conclusion

Our data are the first on influenza C virus circulation in Germany and notably from a European national surveillance system. The low detection frequency and the identified virus variants confirm earlier observations outside a surveillance system. More virus detections during the 2012/13 season indicate a variable circulation intensity in the different years studied. Influenza C virus can be considered for ILI patients. Future studies addressing its clinical impact, especially in patients with severe disease are needed.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2019.24.10.1800174
2019-03-07
2024-12-20
/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2019.24.10.1800174
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Influenza C virus in pre-school children with respiratory infections: retrospective analysis of data from the national influenza surveillance system in Germany, 2012 to 2014
<p class="citation"> <span>Citation style for this article:</span> <span class="meta-value authors"> <a href="/search?value1=Annemarie+Fritsch&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Fritsch Annemarie</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Brunhilde+Schweiger&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Schweiger Brunhilde</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Barbara+Biere&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Biere Barbara</a></span>. Influenza C virus in pre-school children with respiratory infections: retrospective analysis of data from the national influenza surveillance system in Germany, 2012 to 2014. <a href="/content/ecdc">Euro Surveill.</a> 2019;24(10):pii=1800174. <a href="https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2019.24.10.1800174" title="doi link" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2019.24.10.1800174</a> <span class="ES_Article_citation"> <span class="generated">Received</span>: 06 Apr 2018;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span class="generated">Accepted</span>: 31 Dec 2018 </span> </p>
/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2019.24.10.1800174
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