Estimation of secondary measles transmission from a healthcare worker in a hospital setting

Publié le 09 février 2015 • Catégorie(s) : En accès libre, Infections nosocomiales • Mot(s) clef(s) : rougeole

Auteur    Katsushi Tajima
Auteur    Hidekazu Nishimura
Auteur    Seiji Hongo
Auteur    Masaharu Hazawa
Auteur    A. I. Saotome-Nakamura
Auteur    Kenichi Tomiyama
Auteur    Chizuka Obara
Auteur    Takeo Kato
Volume    24
Pages    11-13
Publication    International journal of infectious diseases: IJID: official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date    Jul 2014
Résumé    Measles among healthcare workers (HCWs) is associated with a significant risk of nosocomial transmission to susceptible patients. When a measles case occurs in the healthcare setting, most guidelines recommend exhaustive measures. To evaluate the effects of measures against measles transmission in the healthcare setting precisely, it is essential to determine whether secondary transmission generally occurs. This study describes, for the first time, the actual secondary transmission rate for a measles-infected HCW in a ward with no special air ventilation capacity. The routine treatment of a number of immunocompromised patients occurs in this ward, and thus patients as well as HCWs have a thorough understanding and practice of standard and extended precautions. Our paired serum sample study revealed that none of the people in the ward exposed to the HCW at the catarrhal stage over a period of 4 days exhibited elevated levels of antibodies against measles. We suggest that strict adherence to standard and expanded precautions among patients and HCWs may be effective for preventing the transmission of a highly airborne disease, such as measles.