Cardiac tamponade and heart failure due to myopericarditis as a presentation of infection with the pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza A virus

We describe a fatal case of myopericarditis presenting with cardiac tamponade in a previously healthy 11-year-old child. Pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza A virus sequences were identified in throat and myocardial tissues and pericardial fluid, suggesting damage of myocardial cells directly caused by the virus.