Shedding of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus among health care personnel, Seattle, Washington, USA.

Abstract

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that health care personnel (HCP) infected with pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009 virus not work until 24 hours after fever subsides without the use of antipyretics. During an influenza outbreak, we examined the association between viral shedding and fever among infected HCP. Participants recorded temperatures daily and provided nasal wash specimens for 2 weeks after symptom onset. Specimens were tested by using PCR and culture. When they met CDC criteria for returning to work, 12 of 16 HCP (75%) (95% confidence interval 48%-93%) had virus detected by PCR, and 9 (56%) (95% confidence interval 30%-80%) had virus detected by culture. Fever was not associated with shedding duration (p = 0.65). HCP might shed virus even when meeting CDC exclusion guidelines. Further research is needed to clarify the association between viral shedding, symptoms, and infectiousness.

• Authors: Meagan Kay, Danielle M Zerr, Janet A Englund, Betsy L Cadwell, Jane Kuypers, Paul Swenson, Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, Shaquita L Bell, Jeffrey S Duchin
• Journal: Emerging infectious diseases (Emerg Infect Dis) Vol. 17 Issue 4 Pg. 639-44 (Apr 2011) ISSN: 1080-6059 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21470453 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antiviral Agents
• RNA, Viral

Topics

• Adult
• Antiviral Agents (therapeutic use)
• Health Personnel
• Humans
• Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype (physiology)
• Influenza, Human (drug therapy, epidemiology, virology)
• RNA, Viral (genetics)
• Survival Analysis
• Virus Shedding
• Washington (epidemiology)