Influenza Infection Rates, Measurement Errors and the Interpretation of Paired Serology

• Published in: PLoS pathogens Vol. 8; no. 12; p. e1003061
• Main Authors: Cauchemez, Simon, Horby, Peter, Fox, Annette, Mai, Le Quynh, Thanh, Le Thi, Thai, Pham Quang, Hoa, Le Nguyen Minh, Hien, Nguyen Tran, Ferguson, Neil M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.12.2012; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Antibodies, Viral - immunology; Cohort Studies; Development and progression; Epidemics; Epidemiology; Estimates; Fatalities; Female; Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus - blood; Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus - immunology; Human populations; Humans; Influenza; Influenza, Human - blood; Influenza, Human - epidemiology; Influenza, Human - immunology; Male; Markov chains; Markov processes; Medicine; Middle Aged; Monte Carlo method; Observer Variation; Pandemics; Physiological aspects; Prevalence studies (Epidemiology); Probability; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Serologic Tests; Serology; Studies; Swine flu; Vietnam - epidemiology; Vietnam; United Kingdom

Serological studies are the gold standard method to estimate influenza infection attack rates (ARs) in human populations. In a common protocol, blood samples are collected before and after the epidemic in a cohort of individuals; and a rise in haemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibody titers during...