14th ICID - Poster Abstracts - International Society for Infectious ...

When citing these abstracts please use the following reference:
Author(s) of abstract. Title of abstract [abstract]. Int J Infect Dis 2010;14S1: Abstract number.
Please note that the official publication of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases 2010, Volume 14, Supplement 1
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Final Abstract Number: 28.041
Session: Influenza
Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Time: 12:30-13:30
Room: Poster & Exhibition Area/Ground Level
Type: Poster Presentation
Epidemiologic and clinical finding of A H1N1 2009 pandemic influenza in the Dominican
Republic
M. Thormann 1 , R. Pimentel 2 , C. Then 2 , C. Perez 3
1 Salvador B. Gautier Hospital, Santo Domingo, D.N., Dominican Republic, 2 Direccion General de
Epidemiologia, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 3 Salvador B. Gautier Hospítal, Santo
Domingo, Dominican Republic
Background: The influenza virus belongs to Orthomyxoviridae family and is classified into three
types of virus A, B and C. These viruses have two major surface glycoprotein: hemaglutinin (H)
and neuraminidase (A) which helps the ranking of multiple subtypes.
One of the most important characteristics is their ability to mutation and antigenic variation.
Influenza A has been linked to catastrophic pandemic. The last of these is called Swine flue
(influenza A H1N1), which since its inception has caused great alarm, high morbidity and
mortality especially in pregnant women. This is a sample of the features of the disease in
Dominican Republic.
Dominican Republic is a tropical country located in the Caribbean that receive substantial annual
number of tourists, which makes influenza outbreaks throughout the year: both seasonal peaks in
the northern and southern hemisphere.
Methods: The Epidemiology National Program starts a surveillance since the epidemic arise at
level 5, at epidemiological week 16.
Diagnosis confirmation was made with rt- PCR for A H1N1 to all symptomatic respiratory cases.
Results: Until the 40th epidemiology week, we have 2,664 suspicious cases, 997 (37%)
hospitalized, 441 confirmed cases, from this 191 (45%) hospitalized, and 22 (5%) death, 76
(17%) cases were pregnant women with 16% mortality.
Clinical manifestations were: fever (94%), cough (89%), nasal congestion (76%), headache
(71%), muscle pain (67%), sore throat (60%), dyspnoea (45%), nausea (25%), rales (21%),
vomiting (18%) and diarrhoea (11%).
Pregnancy was one of the more important risk factor associated with mortality.
Necropsy findings where: edema, hemorrhage and necrosis in lung tissues, frequently associate
with intravascular thrombosis.
High mortality was cause due a delay in search of medical attention and no suspected diagnosis
from health cares personel.
Conclusion: It must be increased the Primary Care Services to obtain an early diagnosis of the
disease, and began the antiviral treatment in high risk populations, when this pathology is
suspected, mostly in pregnant women.