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J Infect Dis. 2013 Feb 4. [Epub ahead of print]
Heterogeneity in virus shedding among medically-attended influenza A virus infections.
Lau LL, Ip DK, Nishiura H, Fang VJ, Chan KH, Peiris JS, Leung GM, Cowling BJ.
Source
Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Abstract
Compared with the average transmissibility of human influenza A virus infection, much less attention has been paid to its potential variability. Considering viral shedding as a proxy for infectiousness, we explored the heterogeneity of infectiousness among medically-attended cases with seasonal influenza A virus infection. The analysis revealed that viral shedding is more heterogeneous in children than in adults. The top 20% most infectious children and adults were estimated to be responsible for 89%-96% and 78%-82% of total infectiousness among children and adults, respectively. Further investigation is required to correlate the substantial variations in viral shedding with heterogeneity in actual transmissibility.
PMID:
23382573
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Heterogeneity in virus shedding among medically-attended influenza A virus infections.
Lau LL, Ip DK, Nishiura H, Fang VJ, Chan KH, Peiris JS, Leung GM, Cowling BJ.
Source
Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Abstract
Compared with the average transmissibility of human influenza A virus infection, much less attention has been paid to its potential variability. Considering viral shedding as a proxy for infectiousness, we explored the heterogeneity of infectiousness among medically-attended cases with seasonal influenza A virus infection. The analysis revealed that viral shedding is more heterogeneous in children than in adults. The top 20% most infectious children and adults were estimated to be responsible for 89%-96% and 78%-82% of total infectiousness among children and adults, respectively. Further investigation is required to correlate the substantial variations in viral shedding with heterogeneity in actual transmissibility.
PMID:
23382573
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
