Use of Medical Care during Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 | CDC EID

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Volume 17, Number 8–August 2011
Dispatch
Use of Medical Care during Pandemic (H1N1) 2009, Navarre, Spain

Rosana Burgui, Iván Martínez-Baz, Marcela Guevara, Silvia Carlos, and Jesús Castilla Comments to Author

Author affiliations: Instituto de Salud Pública de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain (R. Burgui, I. Martínez-Baz, M. Guevara, J. Castilla); Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Pamplona (R. Burgui, I. Martínez-Baz, M. Guevara, J. Castilla); and Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona (S. Carlos)

Suggested citation for this article

Abstract
Of 233 households with laboratory-confirmed pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in Navarre, Spain, only 64% (107/166) of contacts with influenza-like illness had sought medical care. This value was lower for adults (53%, 39/74) than for children <15 years of age (74%, 68/92), as well as for those with cases secondary to another household case (58%, 64/111).

Every year, influenza affects 5%–10% of the population, and most persons have various episodes of this disease during their lifetime (1,2). Influenza is typically characterized by respiratory symptoms and general symptoms such as fever, malaise, and myalgia (2,3). Most cases resolve without complications within 1 week (4). The epidemiologic context facilitates diagnosis of influenza because it usually occurs in seasonal waves (5). For these reasons, some persons with influenza do not seek medical care.

This proportion of influenza cases is hidden from the health system and epidemiologic surveillance, leading to underestimation of the true extent of the affected population. The purpose of this study was to estimate the proportion of persons with influenza who sought medical care in Navarre, Spain, during the 2009–10 influenza season and identify characteristics that differentiate persons who sought or did not seek medical care.

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Suggested Citation for this Article

Burgui R, Martínez-Baz I, Guevara M, Carlos S, Castilla J. Use of medical care during pandemic (H1N1) 2009, Navarre, Spain. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2011 Aug [date cited]. http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/17/8/101817.htm

DOI: 10.3201/eid1708.101817

Comments to the Authors

Please use the form below to submit correspondence to the authors or contact them at the following address:

Jesús Castilla, Instituto de Salud Pública, Leyre 15, 31003 Pamplona, Spain; email: jcastilc@navarra.es