Laboratory diagnoses of the first confirmed human case of avian influenza A (H5N1) in the mainland of China / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>To determine the etiologic agent of an atypical pneumonia human case admitted to Xiangtan City hospital, Hunan Province in Oct. 2005.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The patient's respiratory tract samples and serum were collected. Throat swabs were tested by microneutralization and hemagglutination-inhibition assays.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The results of nucleic acid detection of all respiratory samples were negative and virus isolation was also negative. The H5-specific antibodies of convalescence showed a 4-fold greater rise than acute phase.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The atypical pneumonias case was confirmed as the first human case of avian influenza A (H5N1) infection in the mainland of China.</p>