tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Infect Dis
. 2021 Sep 17;jiab464.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiab464. Online ahead of print.
Viral RNA and infectious influenza virus on mobile phones of influenza patients in Hong Kong and the United States
Jingyi Xiao[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jacob Bueno de Mesquita[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Nancy H L Leung[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Oluwasanmi Adenaiye[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Sheldon Tai[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Matthew B Frieman[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Filbert Hong[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Daniel K W Chu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Dennis K M Ip[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Benjamin J Cowling[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Donald K Milton[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Prometheus-UMD Consortium
Affiliations
Abstract
Mobile phones are among the most highly touched personal objects. As part of a broader study on the contribution of fomites to influenza transmission, between 2017-19, we swabbed mobile phones from 138 influenza patients in two locations. Influenza viral RNA detection rates were 23% (23/99) and 36% (14/39) in Hong Kong and Maryland, respectively. In Hong Kong, infectious influenza virus was recovered from 3/23 mobile phones. Mobile phone influenza contamination was positively associated with upper-respiratory viral load and negatively associated with age. Cleaning personal objects of influenza patients should be recommended and individuals should avoid sharing objects with influenza patients.
Keywords: contamination; fomite; indirect contact; influenza virus; mobile phone; mode of transmission; object.
. 2021 Sep 17;jiab464.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiab464. Online ahead of print.
Viral RNA and infectious influenza virus on mobile phones of influenza patients in Hong Kong and the United States
Jingyi Xiao[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jacob Bueno de Mesquita[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Nancy H L Leung[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Oluwasanmi Adenaiye[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Sheldon Tai[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Matthew B Frieman[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Filbert Hong[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Daniel K W Chu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Dennis K M Ip[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Benjamin J Cowling[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Donald K Milton[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Prometheus-UMD Consortium
Affiliations
- PMID: 34534320
- DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab464
Abstract
Mobile phones are among the most highly touched personal objects. As part of a broader study on the contribution of fomites to influenza transmission, between 2017-19, we swabbed mobile phones from 138 influenza patients in two locations. Influenza viral RNA detection rates were 23% (23/99) and 36% (14/39) in Hong Kong and Maryland, respectively. In Hong Kong, infectious influenza virus was recovered from 3/23 mobile phones. Mobile phone influenza contamination was positively associated with upper-respiratory viral load and negatively associated with age. Cleaning personal objects of influenza patients should be recommended and individuals should avoid sharing objects with influenza patients.
Keywords: contamination; fomite; indirect contact; influenza virus; mobile phone; mode of transmission; object.