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Background: Global influenza‐associated acute respiratory infections contribute to 3–5 million severe illnesses requiring hospitalization annually, with 90% of hospitalizations occurring among children < 5 years in developing countries. In Bangladesh, the inadequate availability of nationally representative, robust estimates of influenza‐associated hospitalizations limits allocation of resources for prevention and control measures. Methods: This study used data from the hospital‐based influenza surveillance (HBIS) system in Bangladesh from 2010 to 2019 and healthcare utilization surveys to determine hospital utilization patterns in the catchment area. We estimated annual influenza‐associated hospitalization numbers and rates for all age groups in Bangladesh using WHO methods, adjusted for a 6‐day‐a‐week enrollment schedule, selective testing of specimens from children under five, and healthcare‐seeking behavior, based on the proportion of symptomatic community participants seeking healthcare within the past week. We then estimated national hospitalization rates by multiplying age‐specific hospitalization rates with the corresponding annual national census population. Results: Annual influenza‐associated hospitalization rates per 100,000 population for all ages ranged from 31 (95% CI: 27–36) in 2011 to 139 (95% CI: 130–149) in 2019. Children < 5 years old had the highest rates of influenza‐associated hospitalization, ranging from 114 (95% CI: 90–138) in 2011 to 529 (95% CI: 481–578) in 2019, followed by adults aged ≥ 65 years with rates ranging from 46 (95% CI: 34–57) in 2012 to 252 (95% CI: 213–292) in 2019. The national hospitalization estimates for all ages during 2010–2019 ranged from 47,891 to 236,380 per year. Conclusions: The impact of influenza‐associated hospitalizations in Bangladesh may be considerable, particularly for young children and older adults. Targeted interventions, such as influenza vaccination for these age groups, should be prioritized and evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Several studies imply that influenza and other respiratory illnesses could lead to acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but data from low‐income countries are scarce. We investigated the prevalence of recent respiratory illnesses and confirmed influenza in AMI patients, while also exploring their relationship with infarction severity as defined by ST‐elevation MI (STEMI) or high troponin levels. Methods: This cross‐sectional study, held at a Dhaka tertiary hospital from May 2017 to October 2018, involved AMI inpatients. The study examined self‐reported clinical respiratory illnesses (CRI) in the week before AMI onset and confirmed influenza using baseline real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). Results: Of 744 patients, 11.3% reported a recent CRI, most prominently during the 2017 influenza season (35.7%). qRT‐PCR testing found evidence of influenza in 1.5% of 546 patients, with all positives among STEMI cases. Frequencies of CRI were higher in patients with STEMI and in those with high troponin levels, although these relationships were not statistically significant after adjusting for other variables. The risk of STEMI was significantly greater during influenza seasons in the unadjusted analysis (relative risk: 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02–1.18), however, this relationship was not significant in the adjusted analysis (adjusted relative risk: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.91–1.16). Conclusion: In Bangladesh, many AMI patients had a recent respiratory illness history, with some showing evidence of influenza. However, these illnesses showed no significant relationship to AMI severity. Further research is needed to understand these relationships better and to investigate the potential benefits of infection control measures and influenza vaccinations in reducing AMI incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current evidence suggests that recent acute respiratory infections and seasonal influenza may precipitate acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This study examined the potential link between recent clinical respiratory illness (CRI) and influenza, and AMI in Bangladesh. Conducted during the 2018 influenza season at a Dhaka tertiary-level cardiovascular (CV) hospital, it included 150 AMI cases and two control groups: 44 hospitalized cardiac patients without AMI and 90 healthy individuals. Participants were matched by gender and age groups. The study focused on self-reported CRI and laboratory-confirmed influenza ascertained via quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) within the preceding week, analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Results showed that cases reported CRI, significantly more frequently than healthy controls (27.3% vs. 13.3%, adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.21; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05-4.06), although this was not significantly different from all controls (27.3% vs. 22.4%; aOR: 1.19; 95% CI: 0.65-2.18). Influenza rates were insignificantly higher among cases than controls. The study suggests that recent respiratory illnesses may precede AMI onset among Bangladeshi patients. Infection prevention and control practices, as well as the uptake of the influenza vaccine, may be advocated for patients at high risk of acute CV events.