Death From Asiatic Influenza in the Netherlands

Studies on Influenza in the Pandemic of 1957-1958. Ii. Pulmonary Complications of Influenza*†

“…In the present investigation of living patients, the high incidence of pneumococcal pneumonia contrasts with the low inci-dence of pneumococci reported in autopsy material from fatal cases of influenza (22). It The specific association of underlying cardiovascular disease with serious pulmonary complications of influenza was particularly striking in the present study (Table XVI).…”

“…Rock, Braude and Moran have reported a patient with mitral stenosis who developed fatal abacterial influenza virus pneumonia (24). In the Netherlands study, nine of 10 cases with mitral stenosis had abacterial influenza virus pneumonia (22). Thirty-five of 46 fatal cases with clinical diagnoses of influenza reported by Giles and Shuttleworth had pre-existing disease.…”

“…The following year a second case report appeared from the same group of investigators (15). In both cases the minimal acceptable criteria for primary influenza virus pneumonia were met; virus was recovered from lung tissue and bacterial pathogens could not be demonstrated (see Table XV (22). Three additional cases have been reported recently in which influenza virus was recovered from bacteriologically sterile lungs (23,24).…”

“…There was minimal cyanosis of the lips and nailbeds. The admission temperature was 39.60 C., heart rate 110 per minute, respirations 22 Comment. This patient with muscular dystrophy had typical influenza followed three days later by pneumococcal pneumonia involving three lobes.…”

The Pathology of Influenza Virus Infections

“…During and after the 1957 pandemic, a number of excellent autopsy studies of influenza viral infection were reported (17,18,82,83). In 1972, Mulder & Hers published a comprehensive study of changes observed in these more recent fatal influenza pneumonias (1), which remains the definitive source on influenza pathology.…”