Morbidity and Mortality Associated With Nosocomial Transmission of Oseltamivir- Resistant Influenza A(H1N1) Virus.

The article presents a medical research study which examined nosocomial transmission of the oseltamivir-resistant influenza A(H1N1) virus in a cluster of patients. Two hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients and an elderly patient who developed nosocomial influenza A virus infection following exposure to an index patient comprised the cluster of patients that was investigated. Medical records, polymerase chain reaction and culture, phenotypic oseltamivir and zanamivir susceptibility, and hemagglutinin chain 1 (HA1) gene and NA gene sequence analysis were reviewed. Researchers found that the seasonal viruses with NA gene H274Y mutation are transmitted and retain significant lethality and pathogenicity in high-risk hospital patients.