Evidence against person-to-person transmission of hantavirus to health care workers

70Citations
Citations of this article
29Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

Unusual, primarily pulmonary, manifestations of hantaviral illness occurring in the southwestern United States raised the possibility of person- to-person transmission of a recently recognized hantavirus, Sin Nombre virus. To determine whether such transmission had occurred among health care workers (HCWs) exposed to patients with confirmed hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, we evaluated HCWs who had cared for patients with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome or who had processed specimens from these patients. Information about exposure to these patients and about recent illnesses was obtained via a standardized questionnaire. Serum specimens were tested for IgM and IgG antibodies to hantaviruses with use of ELISAs. Of the 396 HCWs, 266 (67%) reported that they had been exposed to patients with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome or to their body fluids or that they had processed laboratory specimens from these patients. Although 108 (27%) of the HCWs reported fever, myalgias, or respiratory illnesses during the 3 months before the serum specimens were obtained, hantavirus antibodies were not detected in any HCW. These data suggest that person-to-person transmission of Sin Nombre virus is unlikely to occur in health care settings.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Vitek, C. R., Breiman, R. F., Ksiazek, T. G., Rollin, P. E., McLaughlin, J. C., Umland, E. T., … Peters, C. J. (1996). Evidence against person-to-person transmission of hantavirus to health care workers. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 22(5), 824–826. https://doi.org/10.1093/clinids/22.5.824

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free