CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF SEASONAL INFLUENZA IN ADULTS

Influenza (commonly called the flu) is a highly contagious illness that can occur in children or adults of any age. It occurs more often in the winter months because people spend more time in close contact with one another. The aim of the study was to highlight the predictive clinical signs and symptoms of influenza infection in hospitalized patients. This is a retrospective study of patients admitted during the influenza season 2015-2016 at the Infectious diseases hospital at University Hospital Centre “Mother Teresa”, in Tirana, Albania. Data were collected using a case investigation form. A total of 183 patients with influenza like symptoms were admitted during the influenza season 79 (43.2%) of the patients were identified as being infected with influenza virus. Among individuals with influenza, the most frequently reported symptoms were weakness (91%), myalgia (91%), cough (90%), and nasal congestion (88%). Among those individuals without influenza, weakness (92%) and myalgia (92%) were also commonly reported. Individuals with influenza were more likely than those without influenza to have baseline cough (90% vs 78%), fever (65% vs 38%), and cough and fever together (61% vs 30%). The current results, show that cough and fever are better predictors of influenza infection than either symptom alone.