title: Household Transmission of Influenza Virus.
abstract: Human influenza viruses cause regular epidemics and occasional pandemics with a substantial public health burden. Household transmission studies have provided valuable information on the dynamics of influenza transmission. We reviewed published studies and found that once one household member is infected with influenza, the risk of infection in a household contact can be up to 38%, and the delay between onset in index and secondary cases is around 3 days. Younger age was associated with higher susceptibility. In the future, household transmission studies will provide information on transmission dynamics, including the correlation of virus shedding and symptoms with transmission, and the correlation of new measures of immunity with protection against infection.
authors.affiliation: WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors.forename: Tim K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.affiliation: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Lincoln L H
authors.initials: LLH
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.affiliation: Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cauchemez
authors.affiliation: WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. Electronic address: bcowling@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Cowling
mesh_terms: D016358:Contact Tracing; D005191:Family Characteristics; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: control; households; influenza; public health; transmission