BACKGROUND An age bias toward children and young adults has been reported for infection and hospitalizations with pandemic H1N1 influenza (A[H1N1]pdm) in the 2009 and 2010 influenza seasons in the Southern and Northern Hemispheres. Serological analysis of prepandemic samples has shown a higher incidence of cross-reactive antibodies to A(H1N1)pdm virus in older populations; conserved T cell epit...

BACKGROUND Presentation of pandemic H1N1 influenza (H1N1) is widely evolving as it continues to involve different geographic locations and populations. This study was conducted to improve the precision of clinical diagnosis of H1N1 (2009) influenza infection in an outpatient setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted among adult patients (age >15 years) w...

BACKGROUND The main objective of this study was to describe the patients who were hospitalised at Oslo University Hospital Aker during the first wave of pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) in Norway. METHODS Clinical data on all patients hospitalised with influenza-like illness from July to the end of November 2009 were collected prospectively. Patients with confirmed H1N1 Influenza A were compared t...

BACKGROUND. The world is facing a novel H1N1 influenza pandemic. A pandemic scare with a similar influenza virus in 1976 resulted in the vaccination of nearly 45 million persons. We hypothesized that prior receipt of the 1976 "swine flu" vaccine would enhance immune responses to the 2009 novel H1N1 influenza strain. METHODS. A prospective, volunteer sample of employees aged > or = 55 years at a...

BACKGROUND No examination of simultaneous vaccination against pandemic H1N1 and the seasonal influenza virus strains, in children with cancer receiving chemotherapy, are yet published. We investigated the immunogenicity of a whole-virion, inactivated, adjuvanted pandemic H1N1, and seasonal influenza vaccines administered simultaneously to children with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. PROCEDUR...

BACKGROUND Oseltamivir has been used as a drug of choice for the prophylaxis and treatment of human influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 infection across the world. However, the most frequently identified oseltamivir resistant virus, influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, exhibit the H275Y substitution in NA gene. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to determine the prevalence and phylogenetic relationships of oseltamivir resist...

OBJECTIVES During the 2009 influenza A H1N1 pandemic, it became difficult to differentiate viral infections from other conditions in patients admitted to the intensive care unit. We sought to evaluate the behavior and diagnostic utility of procalcitonin, C-reactive protein and four other molecules in patients with suspected 2009 Influenza A H1N1 infection. METHODS The serum levels of procalci...

OBJECTIVE To determine the effectiveness of an adjuvanted monovalent vaccine against pandemic influenza A/H1N1 among people with underlying chronic diseases. DESIGN Historical cohort study. SETTING Mandatory national reporting systems, 2 November 2009 to 31 January 2010, Denmark. PARTICIPANTS 388,069 people under 65 years of age with a diagnosis in the past five years of at least one unde...

OBJECTIVES Hemagglutination inhibiting (HI) antibodies correlate with influenza vaccine protection but their association with protection induced by natural infection has received less attention and was studied here. METHODS 940 people from 270 unvaccinated households participated in active ILI surveillance spanning 3 influenza seasons. At least 494 provided paired blood samples spanning each ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES During an evolving public health crisis, news organizations disseminate information rapidly, much of which is uncertain, dynamic, and difficult to verify. We examine factors related to international news coverage of H1N1 during the first month after the outbreak in late April 2009 and consider the news media's role as an information source during an emerging pandemic. ...