The Indian Journal of Chest Diseases and Allied Sciences

Register      Login

VOLUME 56 , ISSUE 1 ( January-March, 2014 ) > List of Articles

Original Article

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

Virendra Singh, Bharat Bhushan Sharma, Vivek Patel, Surendra Poonia

Keywords : Influenza A (H1N1) pdm09, Pneumonia, Rain, Risk factors, Signs and symptoms

Citation Information : Singh V, Sharma BB, Patel V, Poonia S. 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. Indian J Chest Dis Allied Sci 2014; 56 (1):21-26.

DOI: 10.5005/ijcdas-56-1-21

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 28-06-2022

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2014; The Author(s).


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 realtime 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. Conclusion. 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.


PDF Share
  1. Jain S, Kamimoto L, Bramley AM, Schmitz AM, Benoit SR, Louie J, et al. Hospitalized patients with 2009 H1N1 influenza in the United States, April-June 2009. N Engl J Med 2009;361:1935-44.
  2. Denholm JT, Gordon CL, Johnson PD, Hewagama SS, Stuart RL, Aboltins C, et al. Hospitalised adult patients with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza in Melbourne, Australia. Med J Aust 2010;192:84-6.
  3. Louie JK, Acosta M, Winter K, Jean C, Gavali S, Schechter R, et al. Factors associated with death or hospitalization due to pandemic 2009 influenza A (H1N1) infection in California. JAMA 2009;302:1896-902.
  4. Chudasama RK, Patel UV, Verma PB, Amin CD, Savaria D, Ninama R, et al. Clino-epidemiological features of the hospitalized patients with 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus in Saurashtra region, India. Lung India 2011; 28:11-6.
  5. Puvanalingam A, Rajendiran C, Sivasubramanian K, Ragunanthanan S, Suresh S, Gopalakrishnan S, et al. Case series study of the clinical profile of H1N1 swine flu influenza. J Assoc Physicians India 2011;59:14-8.
  6. Currie BJ, Jacups SP. Intensity of rainfall and severity of melioidosis in Australia. Emerg Infect Dis 2003;9:1538-42.
  7. Oluleye A, Akinbobola A. Malaria and pneumonia occurrence in Lagos, Nigeria: role of temperature and rainfall. Afr J Environ Sci Technol 2010;4:506-16.
  8. Young M. The influence of weather conditions on the mortality from bronchitis and pneumonia in children. J Hyg (London) 1924;23:151-75.
  9. Suri JC, Sen MK. Pandemic influenza: Indian experience. Lung India 2011;28:2-4.
  10. Hill K. Influenza in India 1918: epicentre of an epidemic. International population conference 2009; The International Union for the Scientific Study of Population. Available from URL: http:/iussp2009.princeton.edu/abstractViewer.aspx?submissionId=93252. Accessed on January 19, 2013.
  11. McIlroy SG, Goodall EA, McCracken RM, Stewart DA. Rain and windchill as factors in the occurrence of pneumonia in sheep. Vet Rec 1989;125:79-82.
  12. Waterresources.rajasthan.gov.in. Water Resources Department, Government of Rajasthan, c2000 [updated July 22 2011]. Available from URL: http:/waterresources. rajasthan.gov.in/Daily_Rainfall_Data/2010. Accessed on July 23, 2011.
  13. Thompson WW, Shay DK, Weintraub E, Brammer L, Cox N, Anderson LJ, et al. Mortality associated with influenza and respiratory syncytial virus in the US. JAMA 2003;289: 179-86.
  14. Koul PA, Mir MA, Bali NK, Chawla-Sarkar M, Sarkar M, Kaushik S, et al. Pandemic and seasonal influenza viruses among patients with acute respiratory illness in Kashmir (India). Influenza Other Respi Viruses 2011;5:e521-7.
  15. United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Novel H1N1 flu: facts and figures. Available from URL: http:/www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/srveillanceqa.htm. Accessed on January 19, 2013.
  16. Jamieson DJ, Honein MA, Rasmussen SA, Williams JL, Swerdlow DL, Biggerstaff MS, et al. H1N1 2009 influenza virus infection during pregnancy in the USA. Lancet 2009;374:451-8.
  17. Mohapatra PR, Kashyap S. H1N1 influenza pneumonia. Indian J Chest Dis Allied Sci 2010;52:105-6.
  18. Bai L, Gu L, Cao B, Zhai XL, Lu M, Lu Y, et al. Clinical features of pneumonia caused by influenza A (H1N1) virus in Beijing, China. Chest 2011;139:1156-64.
  19. Huntington E. Weather and health: a study of daily mortality in New York City. National Research Council Bulletin No 75, Washington: The Council; 1930.
  20. Gill CA. The genesis of epidemics and the natural history of disease: an introduction to the science of epidemiology based upon the study of epidemics of malaria, influenza and plague. London: Bailliere, Tindall and Cox; 1928.
  21. Steel J, Palese P, Lowen AC. Transmission of a 2009 pandemic influenza virus shows a sensitivity to temperature and humidity similar to that of an H3N2 seasonal strain. J Virol 2011;85:1400-2.
  22. Rao BL. Epidemiology and control of influenza. Natl Med J India 2003;16:143-9.
  23. Mourtzoukou EG, Falagas ME. Exposure to cold and respiratory tract infections. Int J Tuberc lung Dis 2007;11:938-43.
  24. Fisher D, Hui DS, Gao Z, Lee C, Oh MD, Cao B, et al. Pandemic response lessons from influenza H1N1 2009 in Asia. Respirology 2011;16:876-82.
PDF Share
PDF Share

© Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) LTD.