Clinical Features and Analysis of Two Patients with Novel Influenza H7N9 Virus in Taizhou City, China, 2014

Introduction: In spring 2013, an epidemic caused by novel H7N9 virus broke out in Mainland China and caused mild to fatal clinical symptoms in the infected subjects. To further gain knowledge of this virus, authors reported the two human cases of H7N9 infection identified in Taizhou City in 2014. Clinical characteristics, treatment strategies, and interferon-induced transmembrane protein-3 (IFITM3)-rs12252 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis were studied that maybe valuable for early diagnosis and treatment of individuals with H7N9 infection. Case Presentation: The study included two patients infected with H7N9 virus. A 53-year-old, single male (case 1) and a 73-year-old retired male (case 2) were admitted due to fever, cough, short of breath, and progressive respiratory distress. Chest computed tomography (CT) scan examinations revealed ground-glass opacities (GGOs) and pulmonary lesions in the right lung lobe in both patients. Both of them were confirmed to be infected with H7N9 virus based on the results of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by Taizhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). SNP genotyping of IFITM3-rs12252 was performed for the two cases and the results were analyzed, the laboratory test showed that both of the patients carried the T/C genotype. After treatment, the two patients recovered from the H7N9 infection and were discharged in good health condition. Conclusions: The current study results suggested that together with chest images and laboratory test results, IFITM3-rs12252 genotype analysis might help to predict the severity of H7N9 infection that is valuable for the treatment and management of patients with H7N9 infection.