Influenza A/H1N1/2009 virus - experience of the clinical microbiology laboratory of the “L. Sacco” University Hospital in Milan


Submitted: 13 February 2014
Accepted: 13 February 2014
Published: 30 June 2011
Abstract Views: 1176
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In the spring of 2009, a new variant of influenza A/H1N1 virus that had never been isolated before, was identified. From April 27 to December 31, 2009 the respiratory samples of 974 patients, obtained from suspected cases of pandemic influenza A virus infection, were analyzed at the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory of the “L. Sacco” University Hospital in Milan. The diagnosis of influenza A/H1N1 infection was performed initially through the use of different molecular biological methods: Seeplex® RV12 ACE Detection (Seegene), NUCLISENS® EASYQ® INFLUENZA A/B (bioMérieux), Influenza A/B Q-PCR Alert (Nanogen) running in parallel with rRT-PCR (CDC) to confirm the positivity to the new influenza virus, then was used a single specific test, Fast set H1N1v (Arrow Diagnostics). Retrospective study of data showed that 293 (30.1%) patients were positive for the new strain of influenza A/H1N1 virus and 8 (0.8%) for influenza A other than H1N1 virus.The distribution of influenza A/H1N1 cases showed two peaks, one on July (62.9%) and the other one on October (36%), moreover we observed that 155 patients (53%) out of 293 positive for influenza A/H1N1 virus aged under 20 years old. The first positivity peak was found in travelers and the second one, occurred 2-3 months prior to the classic seasonal epidemic influenza, was attributed to autochthonous cases , by which the virus had spread worldwide. The highest proportion of cases were among subjects aged from 0 to 20 years and, over this age the positivity rate decreased proportionally with increasing age, in agreement with data reported in other countries.

Chenal, L. L., Lombardi, A., Zanchetta, N., Giuliani, G., Micheli, V., Rimoldi, S. G., Tocalli, L., Pagani, C., & Gismondo, M. R. (2011). Influenza A/H1N1/2009 virus - experience of the clinical microbiology laboratory of the “L. Sacco” University Hospital in Milan. Microbiologia Medica, 26(2). https://doi.org/10.4081/mm.2011.2364

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