Details:

Alternative Title:
Influenza Other Respir Viruses
Personal Author:
Blachere, Francoise M. ; Lindsley, William G. ; Weber, Angela M. ; Beezhold, Donald H. ; Thewlis, Robert E. ; ... More +
Blachere, Francoise M. ; Lindsley, William G. ; Weber, Angela M. ; Beezhold, Donald H. ; Thewlis, Robert E. ; Mead, Kenneth R. ; Noti, John D. Less -
Description:
Background

In December 2016, an outbreak of low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) A(H7N2) occurred in cats at a New York City animal shelter and quickly spread to other shelters in New York and Pennsylvania. The A(H7N2) virus also spread to an attending veterinarian. In response, 500 cats were transferred from these shelters to a temporary quarantine facility for continued monitoring and treatment.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to assess the occupational risk of A(H7N2) exposure among emergency response workers at the feline quarantine facility.

Methods

Aerosol and surface samples were collected from inside and outside the isolation zones of the quarantine facility. Samples were screened for A(H7N2) by quantitative RT‐PCR and analyzed in embryonated chicken eggs for infectious virus.

Results

H7N2 virus was detected by RT‐PCR in 28 of 29 aerosol samples collected in the high‐risk isolation (hot) zone with 70.9% on particles with aerodynamic diameters >4 μm, 27.7% in 1‐4 μm, and 1.4% in <1 μm. Seventeen of 22 surface samples from the high‐risk isolation zone were also H7N2 positive with an average M1 copy number of 1.3 × 103. Passage of aerosol and surface samples in eggs confirmed that infectious virus was present throughout the high‐risk zones in the quarantine facility.

Conclusions

By measuring particle size, distribution, and infectivity, our study suggests that the A(H7N2) virus had the potential to spread by airborne transmission and/or direct contact with viral‐laden fomites. These results warranted continued A(H7N2) surveillance and transmission‐based precautions during the treatment and care of infected cats.


Subjects:
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Animals Cat Diseases/epidemiology Cat Diseases/virology Cats Disease Outbreaks Environmental Microbiology Influenza A Virus, H7N2 Subtype Occupational Exposure Original Article Orthomyxoviridae Infections/epidemiology Orthomyxoviridae Infections/veterinary Orthomyxoviridae Infections/virology Quarantine Risk Assessment Veterinary Medicine/methods Zoonoses/transmission
Source:
Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 12(5):613-622.
Pubmed ID:
29768714
Pubmed Central ID:
PMC6086858
Document Type:
Journal Article
Place as Subject:
New York City, NY
Collection(s):
CDC Public Access
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:768985aa3b81f8414e9fb128fe8bd943244d21ce8248fb164c1beae0fa59f4e2
Download URL:
https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/59498/cdc_59498_DS1.pdf
File Type:

Supporting Files

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  	IRV-12-613-s001.docx	docx
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