ABSTRACT
Influenza is the well-studied respiratory viral infection among the immunocompromised patient population. This chapter reviews the available literature describing the epidemiology and management of common respiratory viral illnesses in immunocompromised patients including patients with hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and solid organ transplant (SOT). The timing of influenza outbreaks in the HSCT population and in patients with hematologic malignancy aligns with seasonal outbreaks in the general population. Risk factors for severe and progressive influenza infection complicating HSCT include presence of lymphopenia, onset early after HSCT, and pediatric transplant recipients; however donor type and cell source have not been found to be associated with an increased risk of infection. Efficacy of influenza vaccination appears to be somewhat reduced in SOT and HSCT recipients compared to healthy controls. Efficacy of influenza vaccination appears to be somewhat reduced in SOT and HSCT recipients compared to healthy controls.
