RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Health-care workers (HCWs) are at higher risk of acquisition and transmission of respiratory virus infections. Nosocomial transmission of influenza has been documented but whether this is so for other respiratory viruses has not been assessed. METHODS: Epidemiological, clinical and viral laboratory surveillance was carried out on HCWs presenting with acute respiratory infection in a university hospital. RESULTS: Over a 2-year period, 203 subjects were recruited: rhinovirus was the most frequently detected virus (37.7% in flu negative samples) and influenza A/B was positive in only 12.3% of subjects. Only 19.7% of HCWs were immunized against influenza. High detection of rhinovirus occurred even during the peak of the influenza season and half of the infected subjects reported an influenza-like illness. CONCLUSION: Rhinovirus infection occurred frequently in this study population and probably contributes to influenza misdiagnosis. Educational interventions about different viruses causing respiratory symptoms and an increase in standards of infection control besides influenza immunization among HCWs is needed.
Assuntos
Resfriado Comum/epidemiologia , Infecção Hospitalar/epidemiologia , Pessoal de Saúde , Transmissão de Doença Infecciosa do Paciente para o Profissional , Influenza Humana/epidemiologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Brasil/epidemiologia , Resfriado Comum/transmissão , Infecção Hospitalar/transmissão , Feminino , Humanos , Incidência , Vírus da Influenza A/genética , Vírus da Influenza A/isolamento & purificação , Influenza Humana/transmissão , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , RNA Viral/análise , Estudos Retrospectivos , Rhinovirus/genética , Rhinovirus/isolamento & purificação , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
A duplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and direct immunofluorescence assays (DFAs) were evaluated for detection of influenza types A and B in comparison with virus isolation in Madin-Darbin canine kidney cells. Four hundred four nasal wash were collected from individuals presenting with acute respiratory symptoms during 2001 to 2003 influenza seasons. According to the reference method, 78 (19.3%) samples were infected by influenza virus: 46 were type A and 32 type B. The overall concordance between the 3 assays was 96%, with 317 negative and 71 positive samples in all tests. RT-PCR reached 92.3% sensitivity and 98.5% specificity, and for DFA, the corresponding values were 93.6% and 97.2%, respectively. DFA and RT-PCR could be applied in different routine settings, resulting as an advantage compared with virus isolation: DFA provides rapid results for clinical purposes, but RT-PCR allows running more samples, an important concern in early pandemic circumstances.