Giuseppe
Emeritus
[Source: The Lancet, full text: (LINK). Abstract, edited.]
The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Volume 11, Issue 11, Pages 879 - 886, November 2011 - doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(11)70142-6 - Published Online: 27 July 2011
Potential role of human challenge studies for investigation of influenza transmission
Original Text
Dr Ben Killingley MD, Joanne Enstone MPhil, Prof Robert Booy MD, Andrew Hayward MD, Prof John Oxford DSc, Prof Neil Ferguson PhD, Prof Jonathan Nguyen Van-Tam DM, on behalf of the influenza transmission strategy development group
Summary
The importance of different routes of influenza transmission (including the role of bioaerosols) and the ability of masks and hand hygiene to prevent transmission remain poorly understood. Interest in transmission of influenza has grown as the effectiveness of prevention measures implemented during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic are questioned and as plans to better prepare for the next pandemic are debated. Recent studies of naturally infected patients have encountered difficulties and have fallen short of providing definitive answers. Human challenge studies with influenza virus date back to the 1918 pandemic. In more recent decades they have been undertaken to investigate the efficacy of antiviral agents and vaccines. Could experimental challenge studies, in which volunteers are deliberately infected with influenza virus, provide an alternative approach to the study of transmission? Here, we review the latest intervention studies and discuss the potential of challenge studies to address the remaining gaps in our knowledge.
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The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Volume 11, Issue 11, Pages 879 - 886, November 2011 - doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(11)70142-6 - Published Online: 27 July 2011
Potential role of human challenge studies for investigation of influenza transmission
Original Text
Dr Ben Killingley MD, Joanne Enstone MPhil, Prof Robert Booy MD, Andrew Hayward MD, Prof John Oxford DSc, Prof Neil Ferguson PhD, Prof Jonathan Nguyen Van-Tam DM, on behalf of the influenza transmission strategy development group
Summary
The importance of different routes of influenza transmission (including the role of bioaerosols) and the ability of masks and hand hygiene to prevent transmission remain poorly understood. Interest in transmission of influenza has grown as the effectiveness of prevention measures implemented during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic are questioned and as plans to better prepare for the next pandemic are debated. Recent studies of naturally infected patients have encountered difficulties and have fallen short of providing definitive answers. Human challenge studies with influenza virus date back to the 1918 pandemic. In more recent decades they have been undertaken to investigate the efficacy of antiviral agents and vaccines. Could experimental challenge studies, in which volunteers are deliberately infected with influenza virus, provide an alternative approach to the study of transmission? Here, we review the latest intervention studies and discuss the potential of challenge studies to address the remaining gaps in our knowledge.
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