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Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and HIV Infection

Year: 2011

Type: article

Abstract: were not part of the study, none were diagnosed with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 during the study period.Our study began during the week in September 2009 in which the overall rate of incidence of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in Spain reached 77.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (4), a level that was above the threshold established for the previous infl uenza season, and ended during the week in which infl uenza activity fell below this threshold level (5).Therefore, the study spanned the full cycle of the epidemic.The national peak, with an overall rate of incidence of 372.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, occurred in week 10 of our study.This series included 1 asymptomatic carrier.We do not know if that fi nding could refl ect a falsepositive test or a low-virulence viral presence.Notably, among the population of health care workers taking part in the study, only 4 (11%) had been vaccinated against the novel form of the infl uenza A virus, and none of them had positive PCR results for pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus.On the other hand, 5 (15%) of workers not vaccinated had a positive PCR result.This fi nding suggests that, despite the climate of uncertainty concerning the evolution of the infl uenza outbreak, hospital workers had a greater fear of possible side effects of the vaccine than of the disease itself.

Source: Emerging infectious diseases

DOI: 10.3201/eid1706.102018