title: Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 risk for frontline health care workers.
abstract: To determine whether frontline health care workers (HCWs) are at greater risk for contracting pandemic (H1N1) 2009 than nonclinical staff, we conducted a study of 231 HCWs and 215 controls. Overall, 79 (17.7%) of 446 had a positive antibody titer by hemagglutination inhibition, with 46 (19.9%) of 231 HCWs and 33 (15.3%) of 215 controls positive (OR 1.37, 95% confidence interval 0.84-2.22). Of 87 participants who provided a second serum sample, 1 showed a 4-fold rise in antibody titer; of 45 patients who had a nose swab sample taken during a respiratory illness, 7 had positive results. Higher numbers of children in a participant's family and working in an intensive care unit were risk factors for infection; increasing age, working at hospital 2, and wearing gloves were protective factors. This highly exposed group of frontline HCWs was no more likely to contract pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza infection than nonclinical staff, which suggests that personal protective measures were adequate in preventing transmission.
authors.affiliation: Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. caroline.marshall@mh.org.au
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kelso
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McBryde
authors.forename: Ian G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.forename: Damon P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Eisen
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sasadeusz
authors.forename: Kirsty
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Buising
authors.forename: Allen C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Richards
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000276:immunology; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058873:Pandemics; D012306:Risk; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral