Optimal design of studies of influenza transmission in households. II: comparison between cohort and case-ascertained studies.

ABSTRACT: Both case-ascertained household studies, in which households are recruited after an 'index case' is identified, and household cohort studies, where a household is enrolled before the start of the epidemic, may be used to test and estimate the protective effect of interventions used to prevent influenza transmission. A simulation approach parameterized with empirical data from household studies was used to evaluate and compare the statistical power of four study designs: a cohort study with routine virological testing of household contacts of infected index case, a cohort study where only household contacts with acute respiratory illness (ARI) are sampled for virological testing, a case-ascertained study with routine virological testing of household contacts, and a case-ascertained study wh

SUBMITTER: Klick B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3883904 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature