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Volume 17, Number 6?June 2011
Research
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Risk for Frontline Health Care Workers
Caroline Marshall, Comments to Author Anne Kelso, Emma McBryde, Ian G. Barr, Damon P. Eisen, Joe Sasadeusz, Kirsty Buising, Allen C. Cheng, Paul Johnson, and Michael Richards
Author affiliations: Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne (C. Marshall, E. McBryde, D.P. Eisen, J. Sasadeusz, M. Richards); University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (C. Marshall, P. Johnson); World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, Melbourne (A. Kelso, I.G. Barr); St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne (K. Buising); and Monash University and Alfred Hospital, Melbourne (A.C. Cheng)
Suggested citation for this article
Abstract
To determine whether frontline health care workers (HCWs) are at greater risk for contracting pandemic (H1N1) 2009 than nonclinical staff, we conducted a study of 231 HCWs and 215 controls. Overall, 79 (17.7%) of 446 had a positive antibody titer by hemagglutination inhibition, with 46 (19.9%) of 231 HCWs and 33 (15.3%) of 215 controls positive (OR 1.37, 95% confidence interval 0.84?2.22). Of 87 participants who provided a second serum sample, 1 showed a 4-fold rise in antibody titer; of 45 patients who had a nose swab sample taken during a respiratory illness, 7 had positive results. Higher numbers of children in a participant's family and working in an intensive care unit were risk factors for infection; increasing age, working at hospital 2, and wearing gloves were protective factors. This highly exposed group of frontline HCWs was no more likely to contract pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza infection than nonclinical staff, which suggests that personal protective measures were adequate in preventing transmission.
full article
http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/17/6/1000.htm
Volume 17, Number 6?June 2011
Research
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Risk for Frontline Health Care Workers
Caroline Marshall, Comments to Author Anne Kelso, Emma McBryde, Ian G. Barr, Damon P. Eisen, Joe Sasadeusz, Kirsty Buising, Allen C. Cheng, Paul Johnson, and Michael Richards
Author affiliations: Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne (C. Marshall, E. McBryde, D.P. Eisen, J. Sasadeusz, M. Richards); University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (C. Marshall, P. Johnson); World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, Melbourne (A. Kelso, I.G. Barr); St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne (K. Buising); and Monash University and Alfred Hospital, Melbourne (A.C. Cheng)
Suggested citation for this article
Abstract
To determine whether frontline health care workers (HCWs) are at greater risk for contracting pandemic (H1N1) 2009 than nonclinical staff, we conducted a study of 231 HCWs and 215 controls. Overall, 79 (17.7%) of 446 had a positive antibody titer by hemagglutination inhibition, with 46 (19.9%) of 231 HCWs and 33 (15.3%) of 215 controls positive (OR 1.37, 95% confidence interval 0.84?2.22). Of 87 participants who provided a second serum sample, 1 showed a 4-fold rise in antibody titer; of 45 patients who had a nose swab sample taken during a respiratory illness, 7 had positive results. Higher numbers of children in a participant's family and working in an intensive care unit were risk factors for infection; increasing age, working at hospital 2, and wearing gloves were protective factors. This highly exposed group of frontline HCWs was no more likely to contract pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza infection than nonclinical staff, which suggests that personal protective measures were adequate in preventing transmission.
full article
http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/17/6/1000.htm