Epidemiological surveillance of the influenza virus in Ecuador: a bibliographic review

Abstract

The influenza virus is a respiratory disease that affects the nose, throat, bronchial tubes, and lungs. Generally, the virus tends to spread in the form of seasonal epidemics, especially in winter. However, Ecuador experiences two peaks of infection in January-March and July-August. Since people with comorbidities are at higher risk of complications, since 2006 Ecuador has offered an annual vaccination campaign that begins in December and ends in mid-March. These quadrivalent vaccines are designed from four strains of influenza to help build the immune system and its rapid response to contact with an infected person. The objective of this study is to carry out a bibliographic analysis of the epidemiological surveillance of the country in order to highlight the usefulness of the investigation against new strains of influenza.