Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) in Belgium (2011-2020)

Summary

The Belgian Severe Acute Respiratory Infections network (BELSARI-net) was implemented during the influenza season 2011-2012 following the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) to monitor severity of influenza viruses in hospitals. The network is composed of 6 hospitals throughout the country, two in each administrative region (Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels-Capital), and operates during the influenza epidemic period (from the last week of December or first/second week of January to the third/last week of April, depending on when influenza virus circulation is detected by the general population, based on the Influenza-like illness (ILI) network of general practitioners).

Enrollment is performed for all cases matching the SARI case definition (based on WHO's case definition) and accepting to take part. A respiratory specimen is sampled systematically from each participant, and detailed clinico-epidemiological data, such as information on age, sex, symptoms and potential risk factors such as pregnancy or comorbidities (chronic respiratory diseases, asthma, chronic cardiovascular diseases, renal insufficiency, obesity, diabetes, hepatic or renal insufficiency, immunodeficiency, neuromuscular disease, pregnancy) is also collected. Participants are followed up during hospitalization for the occurrence of complications (detection of pneumonia based on chest radiography, development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), requirement for respiratory assistance and/or for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), admission in intensive care unit (ICU)), or death (all-cause death).

The current project includes all the samples received by the Belgian National Influenza Centre (NIC) during the influenza seasons 2011-2012 till 2019-2020.

Conditions

• Influenza Viral Infections
• Respiratory Viral Infection
• Severe Acute Respiratory Infection

Interventions

DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

respiratory specimen

nasopharyngeal swab or nasal aspiration or broncho-alveolar lavage

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Belgian Federal Public Service, Food Chain Safety and Environment

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Saint Pierre

  collaborator OTHER

• AZ Sint-Jan AV

  collaborator OTHER

• Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel

  collaborator OTHER

• Grand Hôpital de Charleroi

  collaborator OTHER

• Jessa Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• Centre Hospitalier Universitaire UCLouvain Namur

  collaborator OTHER

• Sciensano

  lead OTHER_GOV

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2012-01-20

Primary Completion

2020-04-02

Completion

2020-04-02