Pregnant women at highest risk from H1N1 virus

Pregnant women infected with H1N1 virus have a much higher risk of severe illness and death and should receive prompt treatment with antiviral drugs according to U.S. government researchers from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza virus has been identified as the cause of a widespread outbreak of respiratory infection worldwide. It is well known that pregnant woman have always had a higher risk of severe disease from influenza in general, but it seems the new H1N1 virus is taking an exceptionally heavy toll on them.

After initial reports of infection in pregnant women, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began systematically collecting additional information about cases and deaths in pregnant women in the USA with pandemic H1N1 virus infection as part of enhanced surveillance.

It was found that from April 15 to May 18, 2009, 34 confirmed or probable cases of pandemic H1N1 in pregnant women were reported to CDC from 13 states. Eleven women (32%) were admitted to hospital. The estimated rate of admission for pandemic H1N1 influenza virus infection in pregnant women during the first month of the outbreak was higher than it was in the general population.

Between April 15 and June 16, 2009, six deaths in pregnant women were reported to the CDC; all were in women who had developed pneumonia and subsequent acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring ventilation.

The above findings indicate that pregnant women are at an increased risk for complications from pandemic H1N1 virus infection and support the present recommendation to promptly treat them with anti-influenza drugs.