Objective: To characterize the clinical presentation, course and mortality of pandemic influenza in HIV-1-infected patients in Santiago, Chile.
Methods: Prospective observational study.
Results: Thirty patients were included (three hospitalized), 93% were on HAART, mean CD4(+) cell count was 423 cells/μl and viral load was undetectable in 77% of patients. All patients had fever, 90% had cough, 80% had myalgias, 70% had pharyngeal congestion, 47% had coryza, 47% had odynophagia, 37% had headache and 23% had vomiting. Four patients developed pneumonia. All patients received antiviral therapy and no patient died.
Conclusions: HIV patients infected by the new influenza A pandemic (H1N1) virus behave similarly to the general population.