title: Shedding of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus among health care personnel, Seattle, Washington, USA.
abstract: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that health care personnel (HCP) infected with pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009 virus not work until 24 hours after fever subsides without the use of antipyretics. During an influenza outbreak, we examined the association between viral shedding and fever among infected HCP. Participants recorded temperatures daily and provided nasal wash specimens for 2 weeks after symptom onset. Specimens were tested by using PCR and culture. When they met CDC criteria for returning to work, 12 of 16 HCP (75%) (95% confidence interval 48%-93%) had virus detected by PCR, and 9 (56%) (95% confidence interval 30%-80%) had virus detected by culture. Fever was not associated with shedding duration (p = 0.65). HCP might shed virus even when meeting CDC exclusion guidelines. Further research is needed to clarify the association between viral shedding, symptoms, and infectiousness.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. meagan.kay@kingcounty.gov
authors.forename: Meagan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: Danielle M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Zerr
authors.forename: Janet A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Englund
authors.forename: Betsy L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Cadwell
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuypers
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Swenson
authors.forename: Tao Sheng
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kwan-Gett
authors.forename: Shaquita L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Jeffrey S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Duchin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000502:physiology*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D016019:Survival Analysis; D017201:Virus Shedding; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral