Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-10-31T23:08:04.906Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Are healthcare personnel at higher risk of seasonal influenza than other working adults?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2019

Brenda L. Coleman Open the ORCID record for Brenda L. Coleman [Opens in a new window] ,
Stefan P. Kuster ,
Kevin Katz ,
Mark Loeb ,
Shelly A. McNeil ,
Matthew P. Muller ,
Jeff Powis ,
Andrew Simor ,
Kristy K. L. Coleman  and
Todd Hatchette
...Show all authors
Brenda L. Coleman*
Affiliation:
Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Stefan P. Kuster
Affiliation:
Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Universitätsspital Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
Kevin Katz
Affiliation:
North York General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Mark Loeb
Affiliation:
McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Shelly A. McNeil
Affiliation:
QEII Hospital, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Matthew P. Muller
Affiliation:
University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Jeff Powis
Affiliation:
Toronto East General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Andrew Simor
Affiliation:
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Kristy K. L. Coleman
Affiliation:
Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Parkwood Institute, St Joseph’s Healthcare Centre, London, Ontario, Canada
Todd Hatchette
Affiliation:
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Allison McGeer
Affiliation:
Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
*
Author for correspondence: Brenda L. Coleman, E-mail: B.Coleman@utoronto.ca
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background: Adults are at risk of being exposed to influenza from many sources. Healthcare personnel (HCP) have the additional risk of being exposed to ill patients.

Objective:

To determine whether HCP were at higher risk than adults working in nonhealthcare roles (non-HCP).

Design:

Prospective cohort study.

Setting:

Acute-care hospitals and other businesses in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Methods:

Adults aged 18–69 years were enrolled for 1 or more of the 2010/2011, 2011/2012, and 2012/2013 influenza seasons. Swabs collected during acute respiratory illnesses were tested for influenza and pre- and postseason blood samples were tested for influenza-specific immune response.

Results:

The adjusted odds of influenza were similar for HCP and non-HCP (odds ratio [OR], 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.63–2.63). Older adults and those vaccinated against influenza had lower odds, and those who shared their workspace and who used corrective eyewear had higher odds of influenza.

Conclusions:

HCP and other working adults are at similar risk of influenza infection.

Type
Original Article
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 41 , Issue 3 , March 2020 , pp. 267 - 272
Copyright
© 2019 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. All rights reserved.

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Influenza (seasonal). World Health Organization website. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/influenza-(seasonal). Published 2018. Accessed January 21, 2019.Google Scholar
Estimated influenza illnesses, medical visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in the United States—2017–2018 influenza season. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2018; website. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/2017-2018.htm. Published 2018. Accessed January 21, 2019.Google Scholar
FluWatch report: July 22, 2018 to August 25, 2018 (weeks 30-34). Public Health Agency of Canada website. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/fluwatch/2017-2018/week30-34-july-22-august-25-2018.html. Published 2018. Accessed January 21, 2019.Google Scholar
Kuster, SP, Shah, PS, Coleman, BL, et al.Incidence of influenza in healthy adults and healthcare workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2011;6:e26239.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Alagappan, K, Silverman, RA, Hancock, K, et al.Seropositivity for influenza A(H1N1) pdm09 virus among frontline health care personnel. Emerg Infect Dis 2013;19:140.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bandaranayake, D, Huang, QS, Bissielo, A, et al.Risk factors and immunity in a nationally representative population following the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic. PLoS One 2010;5:e13211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, MIC, Lee, VJM, Lim, W-Y, et al.2009 Influenza A(H1N1) seroconversion rates and risk factors among distinct adult cohorts in Singapore. JAMA 2010;303:1383–1391.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kuster, SP, Coleman, BL, Raboud, J, et al.Risk factors for influenza among healthcare workers during 2009 pandemic, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Emerg Infect Dis 2013;19:606–615.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tandale, BV, Pawar, SD, Gurav, YK, et al.Seroepidemiology of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus infections in Pune, India. BMC Infect Dis 2010;10:255.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Larios, OE, Coleman, BL, Drews, SJ, et al.Self-collected mid-turbinate swabs for the detection of respiratory viruses in adults with acute respiratory illnesses. PLoS One 2011;6:e21335.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smieja, M. Self- or parent-collected nasal mid-turbinate flocked swabs versus nasopharyngeal swabs for influenza diagnosis in a community-based study. Presented at the 25th Annual Clinical Virology Symposium 2009 in Daytona, FL.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
World Health Organization. WHO Information for Molecular Diagnosis of Influenza Virus in Humans. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO; 2011.Google Scholar
Global Influenza Surveillance Network. Manual for the laboratory diagnosis and virological surveillance of influenza. World Health Organization website. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789241548090_eng.pdf. Published 2011. Accessed January 12, 2012.Google Scholar
Petric, M, Comanor, L, Petti Cathy, A.Role of the laboratory in diagnosis of influenza during seasonal epidemics and potential pandemics. J Infect Dis 2006;194:S98–S110.Google ScholarPubMed
Williams, CJ, Schweiger, B, Diner, G, et al.Seasonal influenza risk in hospital healthcare workers is more strongly associated with household than occupational exposures: results from a prospective cohort study in Berlin, Germany, 2006/07. BMC Infect Dis 2010;10(8):11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leung, NHL, Xu, C, Ip, DKM, Cowling, BJ.The fraction of influenza virus infections that are asymptomatic: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Epidemiology 2015;26:862–872.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ip, DKM, Lau, LL, Leung, NH, et al.Viral shedding and transmission potential of asymptomatic and paucisymptomatic influenza virus infections in the community. Clin Infect Dis 2017;64:736–742.Google Scholar
Loeb, M, Singh, PK, Fox, J, et al.Longitudinal study of influenza molecular viral shedding in Hutterite communities. J Infect Dis 2012;206:1078–1084.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marshall, C, Kelso, A, McBryde, E, et al.Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 risk for frontline health care workers. Emerg Infect Dis 2011;17:1000–1006.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bischoff, WE, Reid, T, Russell, GB, Peters, TR.Transocular entry of seasonal influenza-attenuated virus aerosols and the efficacy of n95 respirators, surgical masks, and eye protection in humans. J Infect Dis 2011;204:193–199.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fukunaka, Y, Sawada, SS, Nishiura, C, et al.Susceptibility to upper respiratory tract infection and touching of the eyes or nose: a cross-sectional study of Japanese workers. J Occup Health 2013;55:66–73.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jiang, L, McGeer, A, McNeil, S, et al.Which healthcare workers work with acute respiratory illness? Evidence from Canadian acute-care hospitals during 4 influenza seasons: 2010–2011 to 2013–2014. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2019;40:889–896.Google ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: PDF

Coleman et al. supplementary material

Coleman et al. supplementary material

Download Coleman et al. supplementary material(PDF)
PDF 48.5 KB