Surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections in Southern Arizona, 2010-2014.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Binational Border Infectious Disease Surveillance program began surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) on the US-Mexico border in 2009. Here, we describe patients in Southern Arizona.

Methods

Patients admitted to five acute care hospitals that met the SARI case definition (temperature ≥37·8°C or reported fever or chills with history of cough, sore throat, or shortness of breath in a hospitalized person) were enrolled. Staff completed a standard form and collected a nasopharyngeal swab which was tested for selected respiratory viruses by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Results

From October 2010-September 2014, we enrolled 332 SARI patients. Fifty-two percent were male and 48% were white non-Hispanic. The median age w

SUBMITTER: Wansaula Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4814863 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature