title: Seasonal variation of respiratory pathogen colonization in asymptomatic health care professionals: A single-center, cross-sectional, 2-season observational study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to determine the seasonal variance of potentially pathogenic bacterial and viral organisms in nasopharyngeal specimens obtained from asymptomatic health care professionals (HCPs) during the 2014 winter and summer months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nasopharyngeal specimens from 100 HCPs were collected from Huntsville Hospital (Huntsville, AL) during the winter and from 100 HCPs during the summer. All subjects were tested for 22 viruses and 19 bacteria using Target Enriched Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction. Both seasonal cohorts were composed of students, nurses, physicians, and residents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 100 HCPs tested during the winter, 34 subjects were colonized with at least 1 bacterium, and 11 tested positive for at least 1 virus. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Moraxella catarrhalis, and coronavirus were the most frequently detected potentially infectious agents. Of the 100 HCPs tested during the summer, 37 tested positive for at least 1 bacterium, and 4 tested positive for a viral agent. The most prevalent bacteria were MRSA and Klebsiella pneumonia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nasopharyngeal carriage among asymptomatic HCPs was common, but the frequency and presence of potential pathogens varied with each season. Understanding the colonization and infection potential of upper respiratory organisms is important, particularly for viruses. Although asymptomatic HCPs certainly harbor a number of different potentially infectious agents, future studies are needed to determine whether colonized pathogens are transmitted or initiate infection in at-risk patient populations.
authors.affiliation: Alabama Infectious Disease Center, Huntsville, AL.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hassoun
authors.affiliation: Diatherix Laboratories Inc, Huntsville, AL. Electronic address: matthew.huff@diatherix.com.
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Huff
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weisman
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama Birmingham at Huntsville Internal Medicine Residency Program, Huntsville, AL.
authors.forename: Khushdeep
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chahal
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama Birmingham at Huntsville Internal Medicine Residency Program, Huntsville, AL.
authors.forename: Esmeralda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Asis
authors.affiliation: Diatherix Laboratories Inc, Huntsville, AL.
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stalons
authors.affiliation: Diatherix Laboratories Inc, Huntsville, AL.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grigorenko
authors.affiliation: Diatherix Laboratories Inc, Huntsville, AL.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Diatherix Laboratories Inc, Huntsville, AL.
authors.forename: Leslie L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Malone
authors.affiliation: Diatherix Laboratories Inc, Huntsville, AL.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Clemmons
authors.affiliation: Diatherix Laboratories Inc, Huntsville, AL.
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000407:Alabama / Q000453:epidemiology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D017934:Coronavirus; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007709:Klebsiella; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D001936:Moraxella catarrhalis; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D012621:Seasons; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bacterial colonization; Infection control; Nosocomial infections; Pathogen transmission; Viral colonization