Lack of H5N1 Avian Influenza Transmission to Hospital Employees, Hanoi, 2004

摘要

To establish whether human-to-human transmission ofinfluenza A H5N1 occurred in the healthcare setting inVietnam, we conducted a cross-sectional seroprevalencesurvey among hospital employees exposed to 4 confirmedand 1 probable H5N1 case-patients or their clinical speci-mens. Eighty-three (95.4%) of 87 eligible employees com-pleted a questionnaire and provided a serum sample,which was tested for antibodies to influenza A H5N1.Ninety-five percent reported exposure to >1 H5N1 case-patients; 59 (72.0%) reported symptoms, and 2 (2.4%) ful-filled the definition for a possible H5N1 secondarycase-patient. No study participants had detectable antibod-ies to influenza A H5N1. The data suggest that the H5N1viruses responsible for human cases in Vietnam in January2004 are not readily transmitted from person to person.However, influenza viruses are genetically variable, andtransmissibility is difficult to predict. Therefore, persons pro-viding care for H5N1 patients should continue to takemeasures to protect themselves