Human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) in northern Vietnam, 2004-2005

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 19 - 23
• Main Authors: Hien, Nguyen Duc, Ha, Nguyen Hong, Van, Nguyen Tuong, Ha, Nguyen Thi Minh, Lien, Trinh Thi Minh, Thai, Nguyen Quoc, Trang, Van Dinh, Shimbo, Takuro, Takahashi, Yoshimitsu, Kato, Yasuyuki, Kawana, Akihiko, Akita, Samu, Kudo, Koichiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.01.2009; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; antiviral drugs; Avian influenza; Avian influenza virus; Female; Glucocorticoids - therapeutic use; H5N1 subtype; Health aspects; Humans; Influenza A virus; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - genetics; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - isolation & purification; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - pathogenicity; Influenza in Birds - transmission; Influenza in Birds - virology; Influenza, Human - drug therapy; Influenza, Human - mortality; Influenza, Human - physiopathology; Influenza, Human - virology; Male; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Methylprednisolone - therapeutic use; Middle Aged; mortality; neuraminidase inhibitors; Oseltamivir - therapeutic use; Poultry - virology; respiratory tract infection; Survival Rate; Treatment Outcome; Vietnam - epidemiology; Young Adult; Vietnam
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid1501.080073

We performed a retrospective case-series study of patients with influenza A (H5N1) admitted to the National Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases in Hanoi, Vietnam, from January 2004 through July 2005 with symptoms of acute respiratory tract infection, a history of high-risk exposure or chest radiographic findings such as pneumonia, and positive findings for A/H5 viral RNA by reverse transcription-PCR. We investigated data from 29 patients (mean age 35.1 years) of whom 7 (24.1%) had died. Mortality rates were 20% (5/25) and 50% (2/4) among patients treated with or without oseltamivir (p = 0.24), respectively, and were 33.3% (5/15) and 14.2% (2/14) among patients treated with and without methylprednisolone (p = 0.39), respectively. After exact logistic regression analysis was adjusted for variation in severity, no significant effectiveness for survival was observed among patients treated with oseltamivir or methylprednisolone.