title: Clinical profile of pneumonia and its association with rain wetting in patients admitted at a tertiary care institute during pandemic of influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 virus infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Influenza pneumonia often occurs as epidemics in the Asian countries and have significant impact on the health of world population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied the association of rain-wetting with occurrence of pneumonia during the outbreak of the influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 virus infection. All patients admitted with community-acquired pneumonia during the period 13th September to 10th October 2010 were recruited in the present study. The diagnosis of influenza was established by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The demographic data and clinical profile of the patients were recorded with a special consideration to record of possible risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 123 patients studied, 39 (32%) patients had tested positive for influenza A (H1N1) pdm09; 12 (10%) tested positive for influenza A and remaining 72 (58%) patients were negative for influenza virus. Pattern of illness was almost identical in H1N1-positive and-negative groups. History of rain-wetting was present in 48 patients (39%) preceding the onset of illness. Getting wet in the rain was significantly higher in patients with pneumonia than control subjects [odds ratio 2.53, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.301-4.91; p=0.009)]. The number of pneumonia patients was also higher on rainy days and the numbers started declining a week later.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More pneumonia patients are admitted during the periods of greater rainfall and rain-wetting may be an important risk factor for the occurrence of pneumonia.
authors.forename: Virendra
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Bharat Bhushan
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Vivek
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Surendra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poonia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000145:classification; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058873:Pandemics; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D011891:Rain; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D016896:Treatment Outcome