Infections Caused by Influenza Viruses Among Children in Poland During the 2017/18 Epidemic Season

Łuniewska, K.; Szymański, K.; Hallmann-Szelińska, E.; Kowalczyk, D.; Sałamatin, R.; Masny, A.; Brydak, L. B.

Influenza is an infectious disease that is a threat to both children and adults. The most effective way to prevent infections among children is seasonal vaccination in every epidemic season, which is recommended from the age of 6 months onward. This study is a report of the prevalence of influenza infection in the population of children up to the age of 14 years and of the type of influenza virus involved during the 2017/18 epidemic season in Poland. We found that influenza A and B viruses co-dominated in the season. Among the influenza A viruses, A/H1N1/ pdm09 subtype was a more frequent source of infection than A/H3N2/ subtype. In addition, the prevalence of infection was re-analyzed in children stratified into the age groups of 0–4, 5–9, and 10–14 years old. We found a relation between the age of a child and the type of influenza virus causing infection. The youngest children under 4 years were the most vulnerable to both influenza and influenza-like infections; the former caused mostly by influenza A and the latter by RSV. In contradistinction, influenza B dominated in the oldest children aged 10–14 and RSV infections were not present in this age group. The characteristics of influenza viruses may however vary on the seasonal basis.