Modeling for Estimating Influenza Patients from ILI Surveillance Data in Korea

OBJECTIVE: Prediction of influenza incidence among outpatients from an influenza surveillance system is important for public influenza strategy. METHODS: We developed two influenza prediction models through influenza surveillance data of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (each year, each province and metropolitan city; total reported patients with influenza-like illness stratified by age) for 6 years from 2005 to 2010 and disease-specific data (influenza code J09-J11, monthly number of influenza patients, total number of outpatients and hospital visits) from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment service. RESULTS: Incidence of influenza in each area, year, and month was estimated from our prediction models, which were validated by simulation processes. For example, in November 2009, Seoul and Joenbuk, the final number of influenza patients calculated by prediction models A and B underestimated actual reported cases by 64 and 833 patients, respectively, in Seoul and 6 and 9 patients, respectively, in Joenbuk. R-square demonstrated that prediction model A was more suitable than model B for estimating the number of influenza patients. CONCLUSION: Our prediction models from the influenza surveillance system could estimate the nationwide incidence of influenza. This prediction will provide important basic data for national quarantine activities and distributing medical resources in future pandemics.