Influenza and other respiratory viruses
-
Influenza Other Respi Viruses · Jul 2014
Comparative StudyClinical severity of rhinovirus/enterovirus compared to other respiratory viruses in children.
Human rhinovirus/enterovirus (HRV/ENT) infections are commonly identified in children with acute respiratory infections (ARIs), but data on their clinical severity remain limited. ⋯ Children with HRV/ENT had a more severe clinical course than those with RSV and FLUA/B infections and often had significant comorbidities. These findings emphasize the importance of considering HRV/ENT infection in children presenting with severe acute respiratory tract infections.
-
Influenza Other Respi Viruses · Sep 2013
ReviewClinical care for severe influenza and other severe illness in resource-limited settings: the need for evidence and guidelines.
The 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic highlighted the importance of quality hospital care of the severely ill, yet there is evidence that the impact of the 2009 pandemic was highest in low- and middle-income countries with fewer resources. Recent data indicate that death and suffering from seasonal influenza and severe illness in general are increased in resource-limited settings. However, there are limited clinical data and guidelines for the management of influenza and other severe illness in these settings. ⋯ These standardized clinical guidelines emphasize syndromic case management and do not require high-resource intensive care units. These efforts must be enhanced by quality clinical research to provide missing evidence and to refine recommendations, which must be carefully integrated into existing healthcare systems. Realizing a sustainable, global impact on death and suffering due to severe influenza and other severe illness necessitates an ongoing and concerted international effort to iteratively generate, implement, and evaluate best-practice management guidelines for use in resource-limited settings.
-
Influenza Other Respi Viruses · Nov 2013
A(H1N1)pdm09 hemagglutinin D222G and D222N variants are frequently harbored by patients requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and advanced respiratory assistance for severe A(H1N1)pdm09 infection.
In patients with A(H1N1)pdm09 infection, severe lung involvement requiring admission to intensive care units (ICU) has been reported. Mutations at the hemagglutinin (HA) receptor binding site (RBS) have been associated with increased virulence and disease severity, representing a potential marker of critical illness. ⋯ A(H1N1)pdm09 HA substitutions D222G and D222N were harbored in a significantly higher proportion by patients with acute respiratory distress for A(H1N1)pdm09 severe infection requiring ICU admission and ECMO. These data emphasize the importance of monitoring viral evolution for understanding virus-host adaptation aimed at the surveillance of strain circulation and the study of viral correlates of disease severity.
-
Influenza Other Respi Viruses · Sep 2013
ReviewSupply of neuraminidase inhibitors related to reduced influenza A (H1N1) mortality during the 2009-2010 H1N1 pandemic: summary of an ecological study.
When the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic spread across the globe from April 2009 to August 2010, many WHO Member States used antiviral drugs, specifically neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) oseltamivir and zanamivir, to treat influenza patients in critical condition. Antivirals have been found to be effective in reducing severity and duration of influenza illness, and likely reduce morbidity; however, it is unclear whether NAIs used during the pandemic reduced H1N1 mortality. To assess the association between antivirals and influenza mortality, at an ecologic level, country-level data on supply of oseltamivir and zanamivir were compared to laboratory-confirmed H1N1 deaths (per 100 000 people) from July 2009 to August 2010 in 42 WHO Member States. ⋯ While limitations exist in the inference that can be drawn from an ecologic evaluation, this analysis offers evidence of a protective relationship between antiviral drug supply and influenza mortality and supports a role for influenza antiviral use in future pandemics. This article summarises the original study described previously, which can be accessed through the following citation: Miller PE, Rambachan A, Hubbard RJ, Li J, Meyer AE, et al. (2012) Supply of Neuraminidase Inhibitors Related to Reduced Influenza A (H1N1) Mortality during the 2009-2010 H1N1 Pandemic: An Ecological Study. PLoS ONE 7(9): e43491.
-
Influenza Other Respi Viruses · Nov 2008
ReviewMF59-adjuvanted vaccines for seasonal and pandemic influenza prophylaxis.
Influenza is a major cause of worldwide morbidity and mortality through frequent seasonal epidemics and infrequent pandemics. Morbidity and mortality rates from seasonal influenza are highest in the most frail, such as the elderly, those with underlying chronic conditions and very young children. Antigenic mismatch between strains recommended for vaccine formulation and circulating viruses can further reduce vaccine efficacy in these populations. ⋯ MF59, the first oil-in-water emulsion licensed as an adjuvant for human use, can enhance vaccine immune responses through multiple mechanisms. A trivalent MF59-adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccine (Fluad has shown to induce significantly higher immune responses to influenza vaccination in the elderly, compared with non-adjuvanted vaccines, and to provide cross-reactive immunity against divergent influenza strains. Similar results have been generated with a MF59-adjuvanted H5N1 pre-pandemic vaccine, which showed higher and broader immunogenicity compared with non-adjuvanted pre-pandemic vaccines.