Influenza among adults in Latin America, current status, and future directions: a consensus statement La gripe en adultos en América Latina, situación actual y tendencias futuras: una declaración de consenso

• Main Authors: Pablo E. Bonvehí, Raúl E. Istúriz, Jaime A. Labarca, Ricardo W. Rüttimann, Edison I. Vidal, Diana Vilar-Compte
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish; Portuguese
• Published: Pan American Health Organization 2012
• Subjects: Gripe humana; inmunización; vacunas contra la influenza; adulto; conferencias de consenso como asunto; América Latina; Influenza; human; immunization; influenza vaccines; adult; consensus development conferences as topic; Latin America; Medicine; R; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/81159ee152ae41799cd154704c332acd

In Latin America, adult influenza is a serious disease that exacts a heavy burden in terms of morbidity, mortality, and cost. Although much has been written about the disease itself, relatively little information has been compiled on what could be done to reduce its impact across the region, particularly from the perspective of clinicians with firsthand experience in confronting its effects. To fill this data gap, in 2011, the Pan American Health and Education Foundation (PAHEF) and the U.S.-based nonprofit Fighting Infectious Diseases in Emerging Countries (FIDEC) organized a conference and convened a panel of Latin American scientistclinicians with experience and expertise in adult influenza in the region tol) discuss the major issues related to the disease and 2) develop and produce a consensus statement summarizing its impact as well as current efforts to diagnose, prevent, and treat it. The consensus panel concluded a more concerted and better-coordinated effort was needed to reduce the adverse impact of seasonal influenza and future pandemics, including more surveillance, more active involvement by both governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and a much greater effort to vaccinate more adults, especially those at high risk of contracting the disease. In addition, a new approach for diagnosing influenza was recommended. En América Latina, la gripe en adultos es una enfermedad grave que impone una carga importante en cuanto a la morbilidad, la mortalidad y el costo. Aunque se ha escrito mucho acerca de la enfermedad en sí, se ha recopilado relativamente escasa información sobre lo que podría hacerse para reducir su repercusión en la región, en particular desde la perspectiva de los médicos con experiencia directa en afrontar sus efectos. Para compensar esta falta de información, en 2011 la Fundación Panamericana de la Salud y Educación (PAHEF) y la organización sin fines de lucro establecida en los Estados Unidos Fighting Infectious Diseases in Emerging Countries (FIDEC) organizaron una conferencia y ...