[Study on the risk factors related to severe acute respiratory syndrome among close contactors in Beijing].
OBJECTIVE
To understand the risk factors on severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) among their contacts and to develop effective strategy for its control.


METHODS
Available epidemiological data of SARS cases and close contacts were reviewed and analyzed by SPSS.


RESULTS
Out of the 2195 close contacts, 138 (6.3%) were diagnosed as SARS. Among colleagues and classmates of SARS patients, the infection rate was 0.36% versus 31.71% in contacts among families and hospitals, 0.77% in schools. No one was infected among 459 close contacts to SARS in the working unit.


CONCLUSIONS
Among close contacts, factors that facilitating transmission would include: time, extent, frequency and place of contact to the patients, as well as factors related to close contacts as way, time of isolation and age. One of the epidemiological characteristics was that SARS were as clustered in the family among those close contacts. It is important to control the spread of SARS through supervision on the close contacts to patients.
Pang
Xing-Huo
XH
Department of Research Program Management, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing 100013, China.
Liu
Dong-Lei
DL
Gong
Xiao-Hong
XH
Xu
Fu-Jie
FJ
Liu
Ze-Jun
ZJ
Zhang
Zhen
Z
Wang
Xu-Hong
XH
Jiao
Xin-Ran
XR
Su
Ling-Yan
LY
Gao
Gui-Hua
GH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D016358:Contact Tracing; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000635:transmission; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010356:Patient Isolation; D011790:Quarantine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*