Virus detection and duration of illness among patients with 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in Texas

Clin Infect Dis. 2011 Jan 1:52 Suppl 1:S109-15. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciq014.

Abstract

Knowledge from early outbreaks is limited regarding the virus detection and illness duration of the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) infections. During the period from April to May 2009 in Texas, we collected serial nasopharyngeal (NP) and stool specimens from 35 participants, testing by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) and culture. The participants were aged 2 months to 71 years; 25 (71%) were under 18. The median duration of measured fever was 3.0 days and of virus detection in NP specimens was 4.2 days; however, few specimens were collected between days 5-9. The duration of virus detection (4.2 days) was similar to the duration of fever (3.5 days) (RR, 1.14; 95% CI, .66-1.95; P = .8), but was shorter than the duration of cough (11.0 days) (RR, .41; 95% CI, .24-.68; P < .001). We detected viral RNA in two participants' stools. All cultures were negative. This investigation suggests that the duration of virus detection was likely similar to the seasonal influenza virus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cough / diagnosis
  • Feces / virology
  • Female
  • Fever / diagnosis
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / isolation & purification*
  • Influenza, Human / pathology*
  • Influenza, Human / virology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nasopharynx / virology
  • Pandemics*
  • Pregnancy
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Texas
  • Time Factors
  • Virus Cultivation
  • Virus Shedding
  • Young Adult