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Fatal H1N1 influenza infection in an allo-SCT recipient

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 45, pages 1572–1573 (2010)Cite this article

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In March 2009, an outbreak of H1N1 influenza A virus was detected in Mexico. According to the WHO records, as of November, 199 countries had reported cases of infection; 6000 of them were fatal (http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_11_03/en/index.html). Symptoms of H1N1 influenza A are similar to seasonal influenza and include fever, cough, sore throat and malaise. Vomiting and diarrhea have also been common, both of which are unusual features of seasonal influenza.1 The most common risk factors for H1N1 influenza complications include underlying severe illnesses, chronic lung disease, immunosuppressive conditions, pregnancy and obesity.2

We report a case of a 62-year-old man who underwent allogeneic PBSC transplantation from his HLA identical sister in April 2009. The patient was diagnosed with CLL in 2005. At the time of transplant he had advanced disease with marked splenomegaly, diffuse lymphadenopathy and heavy BM involvement requiring frequent blood transfusions. The patient received reduced intensity conditioning with alemtuzumab (20 mg daily from day −8 to −4), fludarabine (30 mg/m2 daily from day −7 to −3) and melphalan (140 mg/m2 on day −2).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel

    U Rozovski, Y Herishanu, L Gipstein & E Naparstek

Authors
  1. U Rozovski
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  2. Y Herishanu
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  3. L Gipstein
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  4. E Naparstek
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Correspondence to U Rozovski.

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Rozovski, U., Herishanu, Y., Gipstein, L. et al. Fatal H1N1 influenza infection in an allo-SCT recipient. Bone Marrow Transplant 45, 1572–1573 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2009.376

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