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COVID-19

COVID-19 and Influenza Prevalence among Acute Febrile Illness Cases in Ethiopia

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Research conducted by the Ethiopian Public Health Institute has shed new light on the prevalence of COVID-19 and influenza viruses among patients with acute febrile illness in selected sites of Ethiopia between 2021 and 2022. The study found that SARS-CoV-2 was the most detected pathogen, with a positivity rate of 13.7%, followed by influenza A and influenza B, which had positivity rates of 3.3% and 0.8%, respectively. The study also discovered that cases 65 years of age were three times more likely to be positive for SARS-CoV-2.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study enrolled 737 acute febrile illness cases in four sentinel hospital sites in Ethiopia between February 2021 and June 2022.
  • The overall proportion of SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, and influenza B among acute febrile illness patients were 7.8, 1.9, and 0.5 per 100,000 population, respectively.
  • SARS-CoV-2 was the most detected pathogen, with a positivity rate of 13.7% (95% CI:11.3-16.4), followed by influenza A and influenza B, which had positivity rates of 3.3% (95% CI: 2.2-5.1) and 0.8% (95% CI:0.3-1.8), respectively.
  • The positivity rate of SARS-CoV-2 peaked at 37.4% in September 2021.
  • Cases 65 years of age were three times more likely to be positive for SARS-CoV-2 (AOR = 3.3, 95% CI:1.9-5.7).
  • The study recommended further study to characterize influenza subtypes, SARS-CoV-2 variants, and determine their attributable fraction among a broader panel of acute febrile illness-causing pathogens.

Statistics:

  • 737 acute febrile illness cases were enrolled in the study.
  • The overall proportion of SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, and influenza B among acute febrile illness patients were 7.8, 1.9, and 0.5 per 100,000 population, respectively.
  • The positivity rate of SARS-CoV-2 peaked at 37.4% in September 2021.
  • Cases 65 years of age were three times more likely to be positive for SARS-CoV-2 (AOR = 3.3, 95% CI:1.9-5.7).

Sources:

  • Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 virus among patients with acute febrile illness in selected sites of Ethiopia 2021-2022. Frontiers in Public Health, 2025, 13. (Frontiers in Public Health - http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/public-health)
  • NewsRx. Reports from Ethiopian Public Health Institute Add New Data to Research in COVID-19 (Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 virus among patients with acute febrile illness in selected sites of Ethiopia 2021-2022). Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA. July 27, 2025; p 148.

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