Detection and Characterization of Influenza B Virus With Reduced Neuraminidase Susceptibility in a Stem Cell Transplant Recipient

Rosy Priya L Kodiyanplakkal; Jennifer M Laplante; Lars F Westblade; Koen van Besien; Mirella Salvatore; Kirsten St George

doi:10.1093/ofid/ofz493

Detection and Characterization of Influenza B Virus With Reduced Neuraminidase Susceptibility in a Stem Cell Transplant Recipient

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2019 Nov 18;6(12):ofz493. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofz493. eCollection 2019 Dec.

Authors

Rosy Priya L Kodiyanplakkal¹, Jennifer M Laplante², Lars F Westblade^{1

3}, Koen van Besien⁴, Mirella Salvatore⁵, Kirsten St George²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
² Laboratory of Viral Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA.
³ Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
⁴ Division of Hematology Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
⁵ Division of Public Health Programs, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.

Abstract

Antiviral-resistant influenza viruses in the clinical environment, especially type B, are reported rarely. A stem cell transplant recipient remained influenza B positive for 2 months, despite repeated antiviral treatments. Laboratory tests demonstrated the evolution and persistence of neuraminidase inhibitor-resistant influenza B virus with a substitution at codon 119.

Keywords: antiviral resistance; influenza B virus; neuraminidase inhibitors; neuraminidase mutation; stem cell transplant.