title: Epidemiologic report and serologic findings for household contacts of three cases of influenza A (H7N9) virus infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We conducted epidemiologic investigations and serologic assays on household contacts that were extensively exposed to three influenza A (H7N9) virus infected case-patients before infection-control practices were implemented.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on the early clinical course of each patient and the exposure history for each patient's household contacts were obtained by interviewing household members and by reviewing medical records. Viral RNA in patient samples was tested using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay. Antibodies against H7N9 virus in serum samples were tested using hemagglutination inhibition and pseudovirus based neutralization assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All household contacts were extensively exposed to the case-patients without the use of measures to protect against infection. Viral RNA was detected in the specimens from case-patients for approximately 7-11 days after confirmation of infection. However, the results of the analyses of serum specimens taken from the household contacts 15-26 days post exposure revealed no evidence of transmission of H7N9 virus from the case-patients to the contacts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite ample unprotected exposures to case-patients during the virus shedding period, household members in this report were not infected by the H7N9 virus.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: qiuchao@fudan.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Songhua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Anli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qingguo
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yanmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Liangzhu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Mingzhe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Chenli
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Shuihua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, China CDC, Beijing, China. Electronic address: zhangxy066@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: ywhu@shaphc.org.
authors.forename: Yunwen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, China CDC, Beijing, China. Electronic address: jianqingxu2008@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jianqing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D016358:Contact Tracing; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D006801:Humans; D064766:Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Antibody; H7N9; Household contact; Influenza; Transmission