Journal Information
Vol. 46. Issue 12.
Pages 634-639 (January 2010)
Share
Share
Download PDF
More article options
Vol. 46. Issue 12.
Pages 634-639 (January 2010)
Original Article
Full text access
Flu and other Acute Respiratory Infections in the Working Population. The Impact of Influenza A (H1N1) Epidemic
Gripe y otras infecciones respiratorias agudas en la población trabajadora. Impacto del brote de gripe A (H1N1)
Visits
4995
Constanza Albertía,
Corresponding author
constanca.alberti@gencat.cat

Corresponding author.
, Ramon Orriolsb,c, Rafael Manzaneraa, Josefina Jardía
a Institut Català d’Avaluacions Mèdiques (ICAM), Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
b Servei de Pneumologia, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
c CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CibeRes), Barcelona, Spain
This item has received
Article information
Abstract
Introduction

This study aims to asses the impact of influenza and other acute respiratory infectious diseases (ARI) on the Catalan working population between January 2007 and December 2009, including the period of the influenza virus A (H1N1) pandemic in our region.

Methods

All certified sickness absence episodes (sick-leave) due to influenza and other ARI amongst the working population of Catalonia, Spain, were analyzed from January 2007 to December 2009. Monthly and weekly incidence was calculated, as well as an influenza sick-leave threshold, in order to identify the epidemic season in the working population.

Results

Registered annual sick-leave incidence for influenza-like illnesses (ILI) per 100 000 workers was 1260.6 in 2007, 915.2 in 2008 and 2377.2 in 2009. Epidemic curves show monthly peaks in January- February each year, plus a second peak in November 2009 corresponding to the influenza virus A (H1N1) pandemic in our region. In 2009 sick-leave incidence for ILI and other ARI was higher in workers from the Health-Social Services sector than in the other workers (P<.001).

Conclusion

This study contributes to understanding the impact of influenza and other ARI on the general workforce, during a period of time including the outbreak of influenza virus A (H1N1).

Keywords:
Influenza
Acute respiratory infectious diseases
Sick leave
Occupational health
Resumen
Introducción

El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el impacto que tuvieron la gripe y el resto de infecciones respiratorias agudas (IRA) en la población trabajadora catalana entre enero de 2007 y diciembre de 2009, periodo de tiempo que incluyó el brote de gripe por virus A (H1N1) en nuestro medio.

Métodos

Se analizaron todos los procesos de incapacidad temporal (IT) diagnosticados como gripe o como otras IRA en la población trabajadora de Cataluña, España, entre enero de 2007 y diciembre de 2009. Se calcularon la incidencia semanal y mensual y un umbral epidémico de IT por gripe a partir del cual poder definir el brote epidémico en la población trabajadora.

Resultados

La incidencia acumulada anual de IT por gripe por 100.000 trabajadores fue de 1.260,6 en 2007, 915,2 en 2008 y 2.377,2 en 2009. Las curvas de incidencia indican brotes epidémicos en los meses de enero o febrero de cada año, además de un segundo brote en el mes de noviembre de 2009, coincidiendo con la pandemia de virus A (H1N1) en nuestro país. En 2009 la incidencia de gripe y de otras IRA fue más alta en los trabajadores de los sectores salud-servicios sociales que en el resto de los trabajadores (p < 0,001).

Conclusión

Este estudio contribuye a conocer las consecuencias de la gripe y las otras IRA sobre la población trabajadora, durante un periodo de tiempo que incluyó el brote por virus A (H1N1).

Palabras clave:
Gripe
Infección respiratoria aguda
Incapacidad temporal
Salud laboral
Full text is only aviable in PDF
References
[1.]
Generalitat de Cataluña. Departamento de Salud. Activitat gripal a Catalunya. Temporada 2006-2007 [accessed 19/3/2010]. Butlletí Epidemiològic de Catalunya BEC. 2007;(9):1-11. Available from: http://www.gencat.cat/salut/depsalut/html/ca/dir2263/.
[2.]
Jiménez-Jorge S, Larrauri A, De Mateo Ontañón S, representing the Grupo de Vigilancia de la Gripe in Spain. Vigilancia de la Gripe en España. Resumen de la temporada 2007-2008 [accessed 19/3/2010]. Bol Epidemiol Semanal. Centro Nacional de Epidemiología. 2008;16(11):121-7. Available from: http://www.isciii.es/htdocs/centros/epidemiologia/boletin_semanal/bes0823.pdf
[3.]
Italian Health Department. Influnet network for influenza surveillance. Influenza season 2007/2008. [accessed 19/3/2010]. Available from: http://www.iss.it/binary/iflu/cont/2007-2008.1226996075.pdf.
[4.]
Health Protection Agency UK. Influenza/Respiratory Virus Team, HPA Centre for Infections (CfI). National Influenza Season Summary 2007/08 [accessed 19/3/2010]. 05 August 2008. (Week 32). Available from: http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1217490135145.
[5.]
EISS. Weekly electronic bulletin Week, 3, 2008. [accessed 19/3/2010]. Available from: http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/activities/surveillance/EISN/Newsletter/SUN_EISN_INFL_Bulletin_2008week03.pdf.
[6.]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Overview of Influenza Surveillance in the United States. [accessed 20/8/2009]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/pdf/overview.pdf.
[7.]
Mook P, Joseph C, Gates P, Phin N. Pilot scheme for monitoring sickness absence in schools during the 2006/07 winter in England: can these data be used as a proxy for influenza activity? [accessed 19/3/2010]. Euro Surveill. 2007;12. pii=755. Available from: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=755.
[8.]
R. Owen, I. Barr, A. Pengilley, C. Liu, B. Paterson, M. Kaczmarek, Australian Department of Health and Ageing.
Annual report of the National Influenza Surveillance Scheme. 2007 [accessed 19/3/2010].
[9.]
M. Keech, A.J. Scott, P.J.J. Ryan.
The impact of influenza and influenza-like illness on productivity and healthcare resource utilization in a working population.
Occup Med, 48 (1998), pp. 85-90
[10.]
Kelly H, Grant K. Interim analysis of pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009 in Australia: surveillance trends, age of infection and effectiveness of seasonal vaccination [accessed 10/08/2009]. Euro Surveill. 2009;14. pii=19288. Available from: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19288.
[11.]
Health Protection Agency and Health Protection Scotland new influenza A(H1N1) investigation teams*. Epidemiology of new influenza A (H1N1) in the United Kingdom, April – May 2009 [accessed 19/3/2010]. Euro Surveill. 2009;14(19). pii=19213. Available from: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19213.
[12.]
Department of Health and Human Services in collaboration with other US Government (USG) Departments for the White House National Security Council. Assessment of the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic on selected countries in the Southern hemisphere: Argentina, Australia, Chile, New Zealand and Uruguay. August 26, 2009 [accessed 19/3/2010]. Available from: http://www.flu.gov/professional/global/final.pdf.
[13.]
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Revised pandemic 2009 planning assumptions for Europe. 16 Sep 2009.[accessed 19/3/2010]. Available from: http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/activities/sciadvice/Lists/ECDC%20Reviews/ECDC_DispForm.aspx?List=512ff74f%2D77d4%2D4ad8%2Db6d6%2Dbf0f23083f30&ID=650.
[14.]
Rizzo C, Declich S, Bella A, Caporali MG, Lana S, Pompa MG, et al. Enhanced epidemiological surveillance of influenza A(H1N1)v in Italy [accessed 19/3/2010]. Euro Surveill. 2009;14. pii=19266. Available from: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19266.
[15.]
World Health Organisation (WHO). Global influenza surveillance network: laboratory surveillance and response to pandemic H1N1 2009 [accessed 19/3/2010]. Wkly Epidemiol Rec. 2009;36:361-5. Available from: http://www. who.int/wer/2009/wer8436/en/index.html
[16.]
W.W. Thompson, L. Comanor, D.K. Shay.
Epidemiology of seasonal influenza: use of surveillance data and statistical models to estimate the burden of disease.
J Infect Dis, 194 (2006), pp. S82-S91
[17.]
Ministerio de Trabajo e Inmigración. España. Trabajadores afiliados, media mensual [accessed 19/3/2010]. Available from: http://www.seg-social.es/Internet_1/Estadistica/Est/index.htm.
[18.]
Instituto Catalán de Estadística. IDESCAT. Informes de población. Cataluña [accessed 19/3/2010]. Available from: http://www.idescat.cat/territ/BasicTerr?TC=5&V0=3&V1=3&V3=863&V4=435&ALLINFO=TRUE&PARENT=1&CTX=B.
[19.]
Generalitat de Cataluña. Departamento de Salud. Datos del programa de Vigilancia Epidemiológica de las infecciones respiratorias agudas en Cataluña (PIDIRAC) [accessed 19/3/2010]. Available from: http://www.gencat.cat/salut/depsalut/html/ca/dir2097/spfi.pdf.
[20.]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Influenza activity ? United States and worldwide, 2007-08 season [accessed 19/3/2010]. MMWR. 2008;57(25):692-7. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5725a5.htm.
[21.]
Eriksen W, Bruusgaard D, Knardahl S. Work factors as predictors of sickness absence attributed to airway infections; a three month prospective study of nurses’ aides [accessed 19/3/2010]. Occup Environ Med. 2004;61:45-51. Available from: http://oem.bmj.com/content/61/1/45.long.
Copyright © 2010. Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica
Archivos de Bronconeumología
Article options
Tools

Are you a health professional able to prescribe or dispense drugs?