How airborne influenza may spread
November 23rd, 2010 - 3:05 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Nov 23 (ANI): Influenza usually spreads through direct contact and droplets, but a new study examines aerosol transmission as a possible way.
On April 4, 2008, seven inpatients in a Hong Kong hospital’s general medical ward developed fever and respiratory symptoms. Eventually, nine inpatients exhibited influenza-like symptoms and tested positive for influenza A.
The cause of the outbreak was believed to be an influenza patient who received a form of non-invasive ventilation and was then moved to the intensive care unit after 16 hours.
During the time, he was located right beside the outflow jet of an air purifier, which created an unopposed air current across the ward.
“We showed that infectious aerosols generated by a respiratory device applied to an influenza patient might have been blown across the hospital ward by an imbalanced indoor airflow, causing a major nosocomial outbreak,” said study author Nelson Lee of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
“The spatial distribution of affected patients was highly consistent with an aerosol mode of transmission, as opposed to that expected from droplet transmission,” he added.
“Suitable personal protective equipment, including the use of N95 respirators, will need to be considered when aerosol-generating procedures are performed on influenza patients,” Lee added.
“Avoiding such procedures in open wards and improving ventilation design in health care facilities may also help to reduce the risk of nosocomial transmission of influenza.”
The study is published in the current issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases. (ANI)
- Pandemic flu concerns have positive effect on personal hygiene behaviour - May 28, 2010
- FACTSHEETS - Smallpox: in detail - Mar 25, 2010
- Link between low birth weight and H1N1 flu revealed - May 03, 2011
- Face protection effective in influenza prevention - May 21, 2009
- Extreme obesity linked to higher risk of death for 2009 H1N1 patients - Jan 05, 2011
- Surgical masks as effective as N95 respirators against influenza - Oct 02, 2009
- H1N1 virus more easily spread during plane travel - Jan 08, 2010
- Scarlet fever outbreak in Hong Kong - Jun 22, 2011
- How H1N1 is different from other viruses as a respiratory illness - Oct 23, 2010
- Flights may be mode of spreading swine flu - Jun 04, 2010
- Plasma therapy may work for patients with severe 2009 H1N1 infection - Jan 20, 2011
- Scientists explore 1510 influenza pandemic and lessons learned - Nov 13, 2010
- Hand hygiene, masks can reduce influenza spread - Jan 22, 2010
- Aggressive infection control protects cancer patients from H1N1 - Dec 17, 2009
- Cuba to give flu shots to over 600,000 people - Nov 20, 2011
Tags: author nelson, chinese university of hong kong, clinical infectious diseases, health care facilities, infectious aerosols, infectious diseases, influenza patients, inpatients, intensive care unit, medical ward, n95 respirators, nelson lee, non invasive ventilation, nosocomial outbreak, personal protective equipment, respiratory symptoms, spatial distribution, study author, transmission of influenza, ventilation design