Possible association of influenza A with fetal loss: investigation of a cluster of spontaneous abortions and stillbirths.
It has been suspected that influenza infection is associated with fetal or perinatal mortality, but little recent evidence supports this hypothesis. A small cluster of early and late fetal deaths in early 1986 prompted an epidemiological investigation. Women whose pregnancies were affected (cases) were compared with women whose pregnancies had a normal outcome (controls). Case pregnancies were distinguished by a significant excess of recent flu-like illness (p = 0.006), and were significantly more likely than controls to have serological evidence of influenza A infection (p = 0.00067), predominantly the influenza A H3N2, Christchurch/4/85-like strain. The cluster was recognised because most cases were patients of one health centre. Larger epidemiological studies will be needed to confirm an association between influenza A and fetal death, but this cluster suggests that influenza A may have an adverse influence on fetal survival.
Stanwell-Smith
R
R
PHLS Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, London.
Parker
A M
AM
Chakraverty
P
P
Soltanpoor
N
N
Simpson
C N
CN
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000209:etiology*; D000328:Adult; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology