An evaluation of the Zambia influenza sentinel surveillance system, 2011–2017

Simusika, Paul; Tempia, Stefano; Chentulo, Edward; Polansky, Lauren; Mazaba, Mazyanga Lucy; Ndumba, Idah; Mbewe, Quinn K.; Monze, Mwaka

Overview of the influenza sentinel surveillance system during [2011] [2012] [2013] [2014] [2015] [2016] [2017] In Zambia, an ISSS was first established in 2008 in Lusaka Province (the most populated province of the country where the capital city is located) [3] and subsequently expanded to the Copperbelt Province (the second most populated province). The objectives of the Zambia-ISSS were to: (i) monitor the temporal trends of influenza virus circulation; (ii) monitor the circulating influenza virus types and subtypes annually, including pandemic strains; (iii) assess the proportion of patients meeting the ILI and SARI case definition attributable to influenza virus infection; (iv) assess risk factors for influenza-associated severe illness; (v) assess the burden of influenza-associated illness; and (vi) obtain and share clinical samples for annual selection of influenza virus strains for influenza vaccine formulation under the WHO-Global Influenza Surveillance and Response Network. During 2011-2017, ILI influenza sentinel surveillance was conducted in three urban outpatient clinics targeting outpatients with ILI and three large referral hospitals targeting inpatients with SARI ( Fig. 1, panel A) . Both pediatric and adult cases were investigated.