Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Virus, Taiwan | CDC EID

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Volume 17, Number 1–January 2011
Dispatch
Serologic Status for Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Virus, Taiwan

Daniel Tsung-Ning Huang,1 Pei-Lan Shao,1 Kuo-Chin Huang, Chun-Yi Lu, Jen-Ren Wang, Shin-Ru Shih, Hsin Chi, Mei-Ru Lai, Chin-Yun Lee, Luan-Yin Chang, and Li-Min Huang Comments to Author

Author affiliations: Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (D.T.-N. Huang, H. Chi); National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei (P.-L. Shao, K.-C. Huang, C.-Y. Lu, M.-R. Lai, C.-Y. Lee, L.-Y. Chang, L.-M. Huang); National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan (J.-R. Wang); Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei (S.-R. Shih); and National Taiwan University, Taipei (L.-M. Huang)

Suggested citation for this article

Abstract
We studied preexisting immunity to pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus in persons in Taiwan. A total of 18 (36%) of 50 elderly adults in Taiwan born before 1935 had protective antibodies against currently circulating pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus. Seasonal influenza vaccines induced antibodies that did not protect against pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus.

As experts were predicting and warning of a new influenza pandemic (1), an influenza epidemic occurred in April 2009 in the United States and Mexico and resulted in a pandemic 2 months later. The etiologic agent was identified as pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus. Worldwide, most patients infected with this virus were <25 years of age, and one third of serious cases were in persons <50 years of age (2,3). The hemagglutinin gene of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus was shown to be derived from the 1918 swine influenza virus and contained other genes from human, avian, and swine influenza viruses from Eurasia (2). In this study, we evaluated levels of preexisting cross-reactive antibodies against pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus produced after previous infection in children and adults in Taiwan. We also examined serologic changes after vaccination with seasonal nonadjuvanted influenza vaccine. full-text: Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Virus, Taiwan | CDC EID


Suggested Citation for this Article

Huang DT-N, Shao P-L, Huang K-C, Lu C-Y, Wang J-R, Shih S-R, et al. Serologic status for pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus, Taiwan. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2011 Jan [date cited]. http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/17/1/76.htm

DOI: 10.3201/eid1701.100014



1These authors contributed equally to this article.

Comments to the Authors

Please use the form below to submit correspondence to the authors or contact them at the following address:

Li-Min Huang, Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7 Chung-Shan South Rd, Taipei 100, Taiwan; email: lmhuang@ntu.edu.tw