Impact of human immunodeficiency virus on the burden and severity of influenza illness in Malawian adults: a prospective cohort and parallel case-control study

Ho, A. et al. (2018) Impact of human immunodeficiency virus on the burden and severity of influenza illness in Malawian adults: a prospective cohort and parallel case-control study. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 66(6), pp. 865-876. (doi: 10.1093/cid/cix903)

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Abstract

Background: The impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on influenza incidence and severity in adults in sub-Saharan Africa is unclear. Seasonal influenza vaccination is recommended for HIV-infected persons in developed settings but is rarely implemented in Africa. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study to compare the incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza illness between HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected adults in Blantyre, Malawi. In a parallel case-control study, we explored risk factors for severe influenza presentation of severe (hospitalized) lower respiratory tract infection, and mild influenza (influenza-like illness [ILI]). Results: The cohort study enrolled 608 adults, of whom 360 (59%) were HIV infected. Between April 2013 and March 2015, 24 of 229 ILI episodes (10.5%) in HIV-infected and 5 of 119 (4.2%) in HIV-uninfected adults were positive for influenza by means of polymerase chain reaction (incidence rate, 46.0 vs 14.5 per 1000 person-years; incidence rate ratio, 2.75; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–7.44; P = .03; adjusted for age, sex, household crowding, and food security). In the case-control study, influenza was identified in 56 of 518 patients (10.8%) with hospitalized lower respiratory tract infection, and 88 or 642 (13.7%) with ILI. The HIV prevalence was 69.6% and 29.6%, respectively, among influenza-positive case patients and controls. HIV was a significant risk factor for severe influenza (odds ratio, 4.98; 95% confidence interval, 2.09–11.88; P < .001; population-attributable fraction, 57%; adjusted for season, sanitation facility, and food security). Conclusions: HIV is an important risk factor for influenza-associated ILI and severe presentation in this high–HIV prevalence African setting. Targeted influenza vaccination of HIV-infected African adults should be reevaluated, and the optimal mechanism for vaccine introduction in overstretched health systems needs to be determined.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust (grant 097464/Z/11/A).
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Ho, Dr Antonia
Authors: Ho, A., Aston, S. J., Jary, H., Mitchell, T., Alaerts, M., Menyere, M., Mallewa, J., Nyirenda, M., Everett, D., Heyderman, R. S., and French, N.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity
College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity > Centre for Virus Research
Journal Name:Clinical Infectious Diseases
Publisher:Oxford University Press
ISSN:1058-4838
ISSN (Online):1537-6591
Published Online:16 October 2017
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2017 The Authors
First Published:First published in Clinical Infectious Diseases 66
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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