Airborne Transmission of Influenza Virus in a Hospital of Qinhuangdao During 2017 –2018 Flu Season

AbstractThe 2017 –2018 flu season is considered to be one of the most severe, with numerous influenza outbreaks worldwide. In an infectious disease hospital of Qinhuangdao, air samples were collected daily from outpatient hall, clinical laboratory, fever clinic, children's ward (Children's Ward I/Children's Ward I I), and adult ward during 23–29 January 2018 (peak flu activity) and 9–15 April 2018 (low flu activity). The air samples were collected with SLC-SiOH magnetic beads using impingement samplers. Real-time PCR assay was used to detect the RNA of airborne influenza (IFVA and IFVB) in the 91 collecte d aerosol samples. The results indicated that the air samples collected from the children's wards, adult ward and fever clinic were detected with airborne influenza viruses. However, the samples collected from outpatient hall and clinical laboratory were absence of influenza viruses. In addition, th e subtypes of pH1N1/IFVA, H3N2/IFVA, yamagata/IFVB, and victoria/IFVB were detected among the samples with positive IFVA and IFVB. Notably, a new developed subtype of pH1N1 (an epidemic in 2018) was detected in the aerosol samples. In summary, this study profiled the distribution of airborne influen za in an infectious hospital in Qinhuangdao during 2017–2018 flu season. Patients infected with influenza could release airborne particles containing the virus into their environment. Healthcare workers and visitors in those places might have frequent exposure to airborne infl...
Source: Food and Environmental Virology - Category: Virology Source Type: research