Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) linked to influenza were responsible for an estimated 145,000 deaths worldwide in 2017, according to an analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD).


The mortality rate from influenza-linked LRTIs was highest among adults older than 70, at 16.4 deaths per 100,000 people. Eastern Europe and the Caribbean had the highest mortality rate among all ages, at more than 5 deaths per 100,000 people.

In the US, the influenza LRTI mortality rate for all ages was comparable to many countries in Western Europe. However, the LRTI incidence among all ages was lower than in most Western European countries.