Viral shedding duration of pandemic influenza A H1N1 virus during an elementary school outbreak--Pennsylvania, May-June 2009

Clin Infect Dis. 2011 Jan 1:52 Suppl 1:S102-8. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciq026.

Abstract

We report shedding duration of 2009 pandemic influenza A (pH1N1) virus from a school-associated outbreak in Pennsylvania during May through June 2009. Outbreak-associated students or household contacts with influenza-like illness (ILI) onset within 7 days of interview were recruited. Nasopharyngeal specimens, collected every 48 hours until 2 consecutive nonpositive tests, underwent real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) and culture for pH1N1 virus. Culture-positive specimens underwent virus titrations. Twenty-six (median age, 8 years) rRT-PCR-positive persons, for pH1N1 virus, were included in analysis. Median shedding duration from fever onset by rRT-PCR was 6 days (range, 1-13) and 5 days (range, 1-7) by culture. Following fever resolution virus was isolated for a median of 2 days (range, 0-5). Highest and lowest virus titers detected, 2 and 5 days following fever onset, were 3.2 and 1.2 log(10) TCID(50)/mL respectively. Overall, shedding duration in children and adults were similar to seasonal influenza viruses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / isolation & purification*
  • Influenza, Human / epidemiology*
  • Influenza, Human / virology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nasopharynx / virology
  • Pennsylvania / epidemiology
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Schools*
  • Time Factors
  • Virus Shedding*
  • Young Adult