Distribution of Airborne Influenza Virus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus in an Urgent Care Medical Clinic

Details

• Personal Author:
  Beezhold, Donald H. ; Blanchere, Francoise M. ; Celik IB ; Chen BT ; Davis KA ; Davis SM ; Fisher MA ; Khakoo R ; Lindsley, William G. ; Pearce, Terri A. ; Posada JA ; Redrow JB ; Rogers ME ; Thewlis RE
• Description:
  Background. Considerable controversy exists with regard to whether influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are spread by the inhalation of infectious airborne particles and about the importance of this route, compared with droplet or contact transmission. Methods. Airborne particles were collected in an urgent care clinic with use of stationary and personal aerosol samplers. The amounts of airborne influenza A, influenza B, and RSV RNA were determined using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Health care workers and patients participating in the study were tested for influenza. Results. Seventeen percent of the stationary samplers contained influenza A RNA, 1% contained influenza B RNA, and 32% contained RSV RNA. Nineteen percent of the personal samplers contained influenza A RNA, none contained influenza B RNA, and 38% contained RSV RNA. The number of samplers containing influenza RNA correlated well with the number and location of patients with influenza (r = 0.77). Forty-two percent of the influenza A RNA was in particles <= 4.1 mu m in aerodynamic diameter, and 9% of the RSV RNA was in particles <= 4.1 mu m. Conclusions. Airborne particles containing influenza and RSV RNA were detected throughout a health care facility. The particles were small enough to remain airborne for an extended time and to be inhaled deeply into the respiratory tract. These results support the possibility that influenza and RSV can be transmitted by the airborne route and suggest that further investigation of the potential of these particles to transmit infection is warranted. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Biological Products Communicable Diseases Dust Environmental Monitoring Hazardous Substances Health Care Facilities Workforce And Services Occupational Health Particulate Matter Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Viral Diseases

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• Keywords:
  Air-sampling Airborne-dusts Airborne-particles Biological-agents Biological-effects Biological-transport Contagious-diseases Exposure-assessment Exposure-levels Exposure-methods Health-care-facilities Health-hazards Immune-system-disorders Infectious-diseases Quantitative-analysis Respiratory-infections Respiratory-system-disorders Statistical-analysis Viral-diseases Viral-infections

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• ISSN:
  1058-4838
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  50
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20036488
• Citation:
  Clin Infect Dis 2010 Mar; 50(5):693-698
• Contact Point Address:
  William G. Lindsley, West Virginia University, NIOSH, CDC, HELD, 1095 Willowdale Rd,M-S 2015, Morgantown, WV 26505
• Email:
  wlindsley@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2010
• Performing Organization:
  West Virginia University
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20060801
• Source Full Name:
  Clinical Infectious Diseases
• End Date:
  20100831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c61e6d9066c9f6a712eba7b1ce9d828d26235d15ec466bbba803921a1954a3895fb46acf916bcbed2bea03b3c6c1066ec6a890994ac4eb1b50c13ba514ef665c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/187891/cdc_187891_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 323.91 KB ]