Recent trend in Excess Deaths Rates Attributable to Influenza in Italy at national and regional level

In recent years influenza epidemics have caused a heavy burden of deaths in Europe with an estimated cumulated influenza-attributable mortality among people aged ≥ 65 years ranging from 30 to 185 deaths per 100,000 population. Italy has been among the countries registering the highest excesses of death rates attributable to influenza. The objective of the study was to describe the characteristics of influenza epidemics and to estimate the influenza-attributable contribution to excess mortality during the influenza seasons from 2013/14 to 2020/21 in Italy. Data were obtained from the integrated influenza surveillance system, established in 1999 and coordinated by the Italian National Institute of Health. Influenza epidemics have caused more than 100,000 deaths in the entire study period. During the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons, the influenza-attributable excess mortality (IAD) was higher compared to the other seasons, with more than 20 thousand deaths respectively. Regional data, for the seasons 2019/20, showed a certain variability of IAD, with central regions showing higher rates. The influenza season 2020/21 has been characterized by no sentinel detection of influenza virus in Italy and no related death. This exceptional circumstance may be due primarily to public health and physical distancing measures associated to the COVID-19 pandemic and, secondly, to a sharp increase in influenza vaccination coverage. Influenza is a preventable disease and the majority of IAD could be avoided with vaccination. On the other hand, surveillance of the impact of mortality attributable to epidemics is crucial for public health and deserve reliable and openly accessible methods of estimation

Environmental health · Excess mortality · Geography · Population · COVID-19 epidemiological studies · Demography · Influenza Virus Research Studies · Medicine · Respiratory viral infections research

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