Asymptomatic infection with novel influenza A/H1N1 virus in a heart transplant recipient

Meyer, Sven; Ilchmann, Corina; Adam, Matti; Sattinger, Edgar; Siamkouris, Dimitrios; Arunagirinathan, Umeswaran; Deuse, Tobias; Wagner, Florian M.; Reichenspurner, Hermann; Costard-Jaeckle, Angelika

doi:10.1016/j.healun.2009.12.012

« Previous Next »The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation
Volume 29, Issue 5 , Pages 585-586, May 2010

Asymptomatic infection with novel influenza A/H1N1 virus in a heart transplant recipient

Sven Meyer, MD
- Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center, University Medical Center Hamburg–Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Reprint requests: Sven Meyer, MD, Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, Heart Failure and Transplantation Unit, University Heart Center, University Medical Center Hamburg–Eppendorf, Hamburg, Martinistrasse 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany. Telephone: +49-40-74105-3471. Fax: +49-40-74105-4591
Corina Ilchmann, MD
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medical Center Hamburg–Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
Matti Adam, MD
- Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center, University Medical Center Hamburg–Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
Edgar Sattinger, MD
- Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center, University Medical Center Hamburg–Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
Dimitrios Siamkouris, MD
- Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center, University Medical Center Hamburg–Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
Umeswaran Arunagirinathan, MD
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center, University Medical Center Hamburg–Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
Tobias Deuse, MD
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center, University Medical Center Hamburg–Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
Florian M. Wagner, MD
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center, University Medical Center Hamburg–Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
Hermann Reichenspurner, MD, PhD
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center, University Medical Center Hamburg–Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
Angelika Costard-Jaeckle, MD
- Department of General and Interventional Cardiology, University Heart Center, University Medical Center Hamburg–Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

published online 11 January 2010.

The spectrum of manifestations and management of the novel influenza A/H1N1 virus in transplanted patients is currently of major concern. Asymptomatic infections are less common yet important for spreading of the virus and thus affect containment measures. To our knowledge, there are no reports of asymptomatic infections with influenza A/H1N1 in immunosuppressed patients. We present the first case of a young heart transplant recipient who remained asymptomatic despite positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) after exposure to individuals with influenza A/H1N1.

Keywords: influenza A, H1N1, asymptomatic infection, immunosuppression, heart transplant recipients, prevention measures, management