OBJECTIVE: Because pregnancy suppresses the immune system, women at any stage of 
pregnancy are more susceptible to bacterial and viral infection. Pregnant women 
might thus be at increased risk of complications from pandemic H1N1 virus 
infection, and illness may progress rapidly.
CASE REPORT: A 23-year-old primigravida at 9 weeks' gestation was presented to 
our institution because of the sudden onset of sore throat, fever, chills, and 
vomiting for 5 days. She was diagnosed with early pregnancy H1N1 infection, 
vulvar herpes infection, and impending intravascular disseminated coagulopathy. 
Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) 75 mg and valacyclovir 500 mg were then administered 
orally twice daily for 5 days. The patient's fever, chills, and vomiting 
subsided 2 days later. The real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain 
reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of nasal discharge for influenza virus types A and B 
showed positive results for the A/H1N1 influenza virus. The early pregnancy was 
terminated by therapeutic curettage at the patient's request. The surgical 
specimen revealed products of conception with the presence of necrotic chorionic 
villi, and focal lymphocytes in decidual tissue. RT-PCR analysis of gestational 
tissue for A/H1N1 was negative.
CONCLUSION: Pregnant women with H1N1 infection seem to benefit from antiviral 
therapy.