Vol. 43 No. 1 (2026): February
Original Article

Incidence of respiratory virus infections in the first year after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.: Incidence of respiratory virus infections in the first year after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. 8-year cohort before COVID-19.

  • Emilio Felipe Huaier Arriazu,
  • Emilse Daniela Diaz Lobo,
  • Ana Lisa Basquiera,
  • Julieta Marlene De Boeck,
  • Javier Pollan,
  • Marisa del Lujan Sanchez,
  • Noelia Mañez,
  • Diego Hernan Giunta
Emilio Felipe Huaier Arriazu
Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires.
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Emilse Daniela Diaz Lobo
Sección infectología, servicio Clínica Médica, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires
Ana Lisa Basquiera
Jefe de servicio Oncología y Hematología, Hospital Privado Universitario de Córdoba
Julieta Marlene De Boeck
Sección hematología, servicio Clínica Médica, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires
Javier Pollan
Jefe de servicio de Clínica Médica, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires
Marisa del Lujan Sanchez
Jefe de Sección infectología, servicio Clínica Médica, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires
Noelia Mañez
Sección infectología, servicio Clínica Médica, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires
Diego Hernan Giunta
Division of Clinical Epidemiology (KEP) Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. CONICET - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina. Universidad Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Published 2026-01-26 — Updated on 2026-01-26

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1.
Huaier Arriazu EF, Diaz Lobo ED, Basquiera AL, De Boeck JM, Pollan J, Sanchez M del L, Mañez N, Giunta DH. Incidence of respiratory virus infections in the first year after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.: Incidence of respiratory virus infections in the first year after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. 8-year cohort before COVID-19. Rev. Chilena. Infectol. [Internet]. 2026 Jan. 26 [cited 2026 Feb. 1];43(1). Available from: https://revinf.cl/index.php/revinf/article/view/2533

Copyright (c) 2026 Emilio Felipe Huaier Arriazu, Emilse Daniela Diaz Lobo, Ana Lisa Basquiera, Julieta Marlene De Boeck, Javier Pollan, Marisa del Lujan Sanchez, Noelia Mañez, Diego Hernan Giunta

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Background The incidence and mortality of acute viral respiratory infections (AVRI) in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients vary. They can present as upper or lower respiratory infections. Aim: To estimate the incidence of AVRI in the first year after HSCT and characterize the associated overall mortality during the same period. Method: Retrospective cohort study of adults who received HSCT over eight years. Results: Of 476 HSCT (30.7% allogeneic), 99 AVRI were confirmed. The 1-year cumulative incidence of AVRI was 28.8%. Overall mortality was 12.8%, significantly higher in allogeneic transplants (26.0%) than in autologous transplants (7.0%; ≤0.001). Overall mortality was 17.5 vs. 11.2% in patients with AVRI vs. those without AVRI, a non-significant difference (p = 0.10). Rhinovirus/enterovirus (28%), respiratory syncytial virus (19%), parainfluenza (18%), and influenza A (12%) were detected most frequently. 62.5% (n: 90) of the events occurred during the fall and winter months. 48.6% of patients had lower respiratory tract AVRI before day 28, and 45.9% after day 28. The hazard risk (HR) for AVRI in allogeneic HSCT was 2.45 (95% CI: 1.72-3.51; p ≤0.001) compared to the autologous HSCT. There was no difference in AVRI HR in the multivariate analysis according to age, sex, and type of transplant. Conclusion: The incidence is higher than reported; one-third of individuals will have at least one AVRI within one year of HSCT. The identification of high-risk groups would facilitate the implementation of effective preventive actions and medical support.