title: Probable aerosol transmission of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus in southeastern China.
abstract: Some clusters of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) infection were reported in China as of 2010. However, to date, there has been no epidemiologic evidence of aerosol transmission of SFTSV. Epidemiologic investigations were conducted after a cluster of 13 cases of SFTSV in May 2014. A total of 13 cases, including 11 confirmed cases and one clinically diagnosed case, were identified besides the case of the index patient. The index patient experienced onset of SFTSV on 23 April and died on 1 May. The patients with secondary cases had onset from 10 to 16 May, peaking on 13 May. Moreover, eight secondary cases occurred in family members of the index patient, and the other five cases occurred in neighbors of the index patient. According to epidemiologic investigations, patients 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 12 contracted the disease through contact with blood of the index patient. Notably, patients 8 and 10 did not have a history of contact with the blood of the index patient, but they stayed in the mourning hall for hours. SFTSV could be transmitted from person to person by direct contact and/or aerosol transmission, and it is important to consider aerosol transmission as a possible transmission route.
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Anji Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Anji, China.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Anji Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Anji, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Huzhou Municipal Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Huzhou, China.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Huzhou Municipal Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Huzhou, China.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Anji Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Anji, China.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Anji Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Anji, China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Anji Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Anji, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China. Electronic address: shchxia@cdc.zj.cn.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China. Electronic address: enfchen@cdc.zj.cn.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China. Electronic address: zjcdcczp@126.com.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000336:Aerosols; D000368:Aged; D001769:Blood / Q000821:virology; D002044:Bunyaviridae Infections / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016856:Phlebovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols
keywords: Aerosol transmission; cluster; emerging infectious disease; person to person; severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus