Quantification of Influenza Virus RNA in Aerosols in Patient Rooms.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The potential for human influenza viruses to spread through fine particle aerosols remains controversial. The objective of our study was to determine whether influenza viruses could be detected in fine particles in hospital rooms.

Methods and findings

We sampled the air in 2-bed patient isolation rooms for four hours, placing cyclone samplers at heights of 1.5m and 1.0m. We collected ten air samples each in the presence of at least one patient with confirmed influenza A virus infection, and tested the samples by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. We recovered influenza A virus RNA from 5/10 collections (50%); 4/5 were from particles>4 μm, 1/5 from 1-4 μm, and none in particles<1 μm.

Conclusions

Detection of influenza virus RNA in aerosols at l

SUBMITTER: Leung NH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4743992 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature