[A retrospective study of one case of human infection by the highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1)].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the clinical features of the infection caused by the highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H(5)N(1)).


METHODS
A previously healthy 24 year old woman presented to our hospital on November 7, 2005. She was confirmed to be an H(5)N(1) infected case after death. The clinical, radiological and epidemiological data were analyzed.


RESULTS
The patient had a history of direct contact with diseased and dead poultry (chicken and duck). The disease course was 10 days from onset of illness to death, and fever preceded dyspnea by 5 days. On admission, the striking characteristics were acute community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and the major radiographic abnormalities included extensive infiltration bilaterally, focal consolidation and air bronchograms. The radiographic and clinical deterioration was rapid, and the patient died in less than 3 days after hospitalization. The diagnosis of influenza A (H(5)N(1)) was confirmed by means of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time PCR on specimens of the lower respiratory tract, performed by Chinese Center for Disease Control. The postmortem examination showed bronchial hyperemia, extensive consolidation, serous cavity effusions, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and multiple organ failure (MOF).


CONCLUSIONS
Human infection by the highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H(5)N(1)) is a fatal communicable disease. Information of avian influenza A (H(5)N(1)) virus, more attention to the epidemiologic data, and early intervention are critical in reducing the mortality.
Zhou
Chao
C
Department of Respiratory Medicine, the People's Hospital of Tongling, Anhui 244000, China. zhouchaotl@163.com
Fang
Ping
P
Liu
You-ning
YN
Hu
Bin
B
Ding
Hong-mei
HM
Xu
Xiao-ling
XL
Wu
Hao
H
Wang
Jin
J
Lin
Lin
L
Pan
Hua
H
Wu
Tong-sheng
TS
Song
You-liang
YL
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D004372:Ducks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000635:transmission; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies