Estimation of the influenza‐associated respiratory hospitalization burden using sentinel surveillance data, Lebanon, 2015–2020

INTRODUCTION: Influenza epidemics cause around 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness worldwide every year. Estimates are needed for a better understanding of the burden of disease especially in low‐ and middle‐income countries. The objective of this study is to estimate the number and rate of influenza‐associated respiratory hospitalizations in Lebanon during five influenza seasons (2015–2016 to 2019–2020) by age and province of residence in addition to estimating the influenza burden by level of severity. METHODS: The severe acute respiratory infection sentinel surveillance system was used to compute influenza positivity from the influenza laboratory confirmed cases. The total of respiratory hospitalizations under the influenza and pneumonia diagnosis was retrieved from the Ministry of Public Health hospital billing database. Age‐specific and province‐specific frequencies and rates were estimated for each season. Rates per 100 000 population were calculated with 95% confidence levels. RESULTS: The estimated seasonal average of influenza‐associated hospital admission was 2866 for a rate of 48.1 (95% CI: 46.4–49.9) per 100 000. As for the distribution by age group, the highest rates were seen in the two age groups ≥65 years and 0–4 years whereas the lowest rate was for the age group 15–49 years. For the distribution by province of residence, the highest influenza‐associated hospitalization rates were reported from the Bekaa‐Baalback/Hermel provinces. CONCLUSION: This study shows the substantial burden of influenza in Lebanon mainly on high‐risk groups (≥65 years and <5 years). It is crucial to translate these findings into policies and practices to reduce the burden and estimate the illness‐related expenditure and indirect costs.