Superspreading SARS Events, Beijing, 2003

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Emerg Infect Dis
• Personal Author:
  Shen, Zhuang ; Ning, Fang ; Zhou, Weigong ; He, Xiong ; Lin, Changying ; Chin, Daniel P. ; Zhu, Zonghan ; Schuchat, Anne
• Description:
  Superspreading events were pivotal in the global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). We investigated superspreading in one transmission chain early in Beijing's epidemic. Superspreading was defined as transmission of SARS to at least eight contacts. An index patient with onset of SARS 2 months after hospital admission was the source of four generations of transmission to 76 case-patients, including 12 healthcare workers and several hospital visitors. Four (5%) case circumstances met the superspreading definition. Superspreading appeared to be associated with older age (mean 56 vs. 44 years), case fatality (75% vs. 16%, p = 0.02, Fisher exact test), number of close contacts (36 vs. 0.37) and attack rate among close contacts (43% vs. 18.5%, p < 0.025). Delayed recognition of SARS in a hospitalized patient permitted transmission to patients, visitors, and healthcare workers. Older age and number of contacts merit investigation in future studies of superspreading.
• Subjects:
  Adult Aged Aged, 80 And Over Contact Tracing Disease Outbreaks Epidemiologic Factors Female Health Personnel Humans Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional Male Middle Aged Research Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Time Factors

  More +
• Source:
  Emerg Infect Dis. 10(2):256-260.
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  China
• Location:
  Asia
• Volume:
  10
• Issue:
  2
• Collection(s):
  Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:36b113dc6f6772572733f982ee06fdfc6e5754bd58540f4d4db461012998f7cc
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/7742/cdc_7742_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 67.31 KB ]