On January 4, 2010, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced a new case of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) infection in a pregnant woman. She is the ninth pregnant woman infected with the pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus in Taiwan.The case is a 25-year-old pregnant woman who lives in southern Taiwan and was 34 weeks into her pregnancy.She developed symptoms, including cough and fever, on December 7, 2009.Subsequently, she developed nausea and vomiting on December 29, 2009.She was then rushed to the emergency department for medical attention.After further medical assessment, intrauterine fetal death was detected.According to the family member of the case, the case was tested positive for influenza A by the rapid diagnostic test.Her labor was induced on December 31, 2009.The case is currently under recovery at a hospital.

According to the global disease surveillance data, pregnant women are at high risk for pandemic influenza A (H1N1) infection.Among the H1N1 cases reported in the United States, 10% are pregnant women. Among the serious H1N1 cases reported in China, 9.6% are pregnant women.Among the 648 deaths resulted from H1N1 infection, 18.6% are pregnant women.In Taiwan, according to the disease surveillance data collected by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC), as of 10 am on January 4, 2010, 9 of the 852 hospitalized cases of H1N1 are pregnant women aged between 22 and 29.

CECC would like to remind all pregnant women, especially those below the age of 30, to avoid visiting crowded places when there is an ongoing outbreak.If influenza-like symptoms develop, please seek medical attention immediately.On the other hand, CECC would like to remind the family members of pregnant women to not only pay attention to the health of the pregnant women, but also their own health. CECC encouraged the family members to get vaccinated against H1N1 in order to ensure their own health and the health of others.

Influenza viruses are active during the winter.However, most people in Taiwan have not been vaccinated against H1N1.In light of the third wave of H1N1 infection, CECC once again urged the public to get the H1N1 vaccine in order to achieve herd immunity against the virus as early as possible.