Clinical presentation and response to treatment of novel influenza A H1N1 in a university-based summer camp population.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the clinical presentation and course of novel H1N1 influenza in summer camps. OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinical course and evaluate the effect of influenza treatment in a summer camp population. STUDY DESIGN: Two large influenza outbreaks occurred in university-based residential camps between May 21 and August 2, 2009. Through active daily surveillance, medical evaluation at symptom onset, and data collection during isolation, we describe the clinical course of a large outbreak of novel H1N1 influenza. RESULTS: Influenza-like illness (ILI) was documented in 119 individuals. Influenza A was confirmed in 66 (79%) of 84 samples tested. Three early samples were identified as novel H1N1. ILI cases had an average age of 15.7 years and 52% were male. Sixty-three were treated with oseltamivir or zanamivir, which was initiated within 24h of diagnosis. Cough, myalgia and sore throat occurred in 69, 64 and 63% of cases, respectively. The highest temperature over the course of illness (T(max)) occurred within 48h after symptom onset in 87.5% of individuals. Average T(max) was 38.4 degrees C (range 36.1-40.2 degrees C). Among confirmed influenza cases, 69% defervesced by 72h and 95% defervesced by 96h. Defervescence at 72h was not different in the treated and untreated groups (p=0.12). CONCLUSIONS: Novel H1N1 generally has a mild, self-limited course in healthy adolescent campers. Defervescence occurred within 72h and was unaffected by treatment.

Adherence to self-quarantine recommendations during an outbreak of norovirus infection.

A large norovirus outbreak affecting hospital patients and staff occurred during the winter of 2007. We administered a survey to affected staff to evaluate adherence to social distancing recommendations. Of the 102 survey respondents, 74 (73%) completed self-quarantine. Staff adherence was similar regardless of job responsibility. Incomplete adherence to recommendations could potentially accelerate and prolong infectious disease outbreaks.

A G-CSF-secreting adrenal carcinoma with rhabdoid-like differentiation causing leukocytosis.

BACKGROUND: A 57-year-old African American man presented to a tertiary care center with a 6-month history of fatigue and worsening abdominal pain. He had lost 9.1 kg in weight in the 3 months leading up to presentation, and described subjective fevers and night sweats for 1 month with a nonproductive cough and blurred vision for several weeks before presentation. He had chronic renal insufficiency, sleep apnea, hypertension, and peripheral vascular disease. INVESTIGATIONS: Physical examination, complete blood count, peripheral blood smear, leukocyte alkaline phosphatase score, bone marrow biopsy, CT of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, MRI of the abdomen and pelvis, measurement of plasma and urine metanephrines, 24 h urine testing for cortisol and 17-ketosteroids, measurement of serum granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) level, histopathologic examination and immunohistochemical staining of resected tumor. DIAGNOSIS: G-CSF-secreting adrenal carcinoma with rhabdoid-like differentiation. MANAGEMENT: En bloc surgical resection of kidney, suprarenal mass and spleen was performed, followed by initiation of mitotane chemotherapy 3 months later.

Respiratory syncytial virus outbreak in a long-term care facility detected using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction: an argument for real-time detection methods.

OBJECTIVES: To report an outbreak of respiratory synctyial virus (RSV) in a long-term care facility (LTCF) during ongoing routine respiratory illness surveillance. DESIGN: Rapid antigen testing, viral culture, direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) testing, and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing for up to 15 viruses in symptomatic residents and chart review. SETTING: A 120-bed LTCF. MEASUREMENTS: Comparison of rapid antigen testing, respiratory viral cultures, and DFA testing and RT-PCR in residents with symptoms of a respiratory tract infection. RESULTS: Twenty-two of 52 residents developed symptoms of a respiratory tract infection between January 29, 2008, and February 26, 2008. RSV was detected using RT-PCR in seven (32%) of the 22 cases. None of the seven cases had positive RSV rapid antigen testing, and only two had positive culture or DFA results. This outbreak occurred during a time when state wide RSV rates were rapidly declining. One patient was admitted to the hospital during the infection and subsequently died. CONCLUSION: RSV may cause outbreaks in LTCFs that traditional diagnostic methods do not detect. RT-PCR can provide a more timely and accurate diagnosis of outbreaks, which allows for early symptomatic treatment, rational use of antibiotics, and improved infection control.

Predicting CD4 lymphocyte count <200 cells/mm(3) in an HIV type 1-infected African population.

Clinical criteria are recommended to select HIV-infected patients for initiation of antiretroviral therapy when CD4 lymphocyte testing is unavailable. We evaluated the performance characteristics of WHO staging criteria, anthropometrics, and simple laboratory measurements for predicting CD4 lymphocyte count (CD4 count) <200 cells/mm(3) among HIV-infected patients in Tanzania. A total of 202 adults, diagnosed with HIV infection through community-based testing, underwent a detailed evaluation including staging history and examination, anthropometry, complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and CD4 count. Univariable analysis and recursive partitioning were used to identify characteristics associated with CD4 count 200 cells/mm(3). Of 202 participants 109 (54%) had a CD4 count <200 cells/mm(3). Characteristics most strongly associated with CD4 count <200 cells/mm(3) (p-value <0.0001) were the presence of mucocutaneous manifestations (72% vs. 28%), lower total lymphocyte count (TLC) (median 1,450 vs. 2,200 cells/mm(3)), lower total white blood cell count (median 4,200 vs. 5,500 cells/mm(3)), and higher ESR (median 95 vs. 53 mm/h). In a partition tree model, TLC <1,200 cells/mm(3), ESR >or=120 mm/h, or the presence of mucocutaneous manifestations yielded a sensitivity of 0.85 and specificity of 0.63 for predicting CD4 count <200 cells/mm(3). The sensitivity of the 2006 WHO Staging system improved from 0.75 to 0.93 with inclusion of these parameters, at the expense of specificity (0.36 to 0.26). The presence of mucocutaneous manifestations, TLC <1,200 cells/mm(3), or ESR >or=120 mm/h was a strong predictor of CD4 count <200 cells/mm(3) and enhanced the sensitivity of the 2006 WHO staging criteria for identifying patients likely to benefit from antiretrovirals.