Humidity as a non-pharmaceutical intervention for influenza A.
Influenza is a global problem infecting 5-10% of adults and 20-30% of children annually. Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are attractive approaches to complement vaccination in the prevention and reduction of influenza. Strong cyclical reduction of absolute humidity has been associated with i...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2018-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC6155525?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1811305715376062464 |
|---|---|
| author | Jennifer M Reiman Biswadeep Das Gregory M Sindberg Mark D Urban Madeleine E M Hammerlund Han B Lee Katie M Spring Jamie Lyman-Gingerich Alex R Generous Tyler H Koep Kevin Ewing Phil Lilja Felicity T Enders Stephen C Ekker W Charles Huskins Hind J Fadel Chris Pierret |
| author_facet | Jennifer M Reiman Biswadeep Das Gregory M Sindberg Mark D Urban Madeleine E M Hammerlund Han B Lee Katie M Spring Jamie Lyman-Gingerich Alex R Generous Tyler H Koep Kevin Ewing Phil Lilja Felicity T Enders Stephen C Ekker W Charles Huskins Hind J Fadel Chris Pierret |
| author_sort | Jennifer M Reiman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Influenza is a global problem infecting 5-10% of adults and 20-30% of children annually. Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are attractive approaches to complement vaccination in the prevention and reduction of influenza. Strong cyclical reduction of absolute humidity has been associated with influenza outbreaks in temperate climates. This study tested the hypothesis that raising absolute humidity above seasonal lows would impact influenza virus survival and transmission in a key source of influenza virus distribution, a community school. Air samples and objects handled by students (e.g. blocks and markers) were collected from preschool classrooms. All samples were processed and PCR used to determine the presence of influenza virus and its amount. Additionally samples were tested for their ability to infect cells in cultures. We observed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the total number of influenza A virus positive samples (air and fomite) and viral genome copies upon humidification as compared to control rooms. This suggests the future potential of artificial humidification as a possible strategy to control influenza outbreaks in temperate climates. There were 2.3 times as many ILI cases in the control rooms compared to the humidified rooms, and whether there is a causal relationship, and its direction between the number of cases and levels of influenza virus in the rooms is not known. Additional research is required, but this is the first prospective study suggesting that exogenous humidification could serve as a scalable NPI for influenza or other viral outbreaks. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:31:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9f84f6e74b434b55be8f7fe473de5bc2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:31:21Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-9f84f6e74b434b55be8f7fe473de5bc22022-12-22T02:54:15ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032018-01-01139e020433710.1371/journal.pone.0204337Humidity as a non-pharmaceutical intervention for influenza A.Jennifer M ReimanBiswadeep DasGregory M SindbergMark D UrbanMadeleine E M HammerlundHan B LeeKatie M SpringJamie Lyman-GingerichAlex R GenerousTyler H KoepKevin EwingPhil LiljaFelicity T EndersStephen C EkkerW Charles HuskinsHind J FadelChris PierretInfluenza is a global problem infecting 5-10% of adults and 20-30% of children annually. Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are attractive approaches to complement vaccination in the prevention and reduction of influenza. Strong cyclical reduction of absolute humidity has been associated with influenza outbreaks in temperate climates. This study tested the hypothesis that raising absolute humidity above seasonal lows would impact influenza virus survival and transmission in a key source of influenza virus distribution, a community school. Air samples and objects handled by students (e.g. blocks and markers) were collected from preschool classrooms. All samples were processed and PCR used to determine the presence of influenza virus and its amount. Additionally samples were tested for their ability to infect cells in cultures. We observed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the total number of influenza A virus positive samples (air and fomite) and viral genome copies upon humidification as compared to control rooms. This suggests the future potential of artificial humidification as a possible strategy to control influenza outbreaks in temperate climates. There were 2.3 times as many ILI cases in the control rooms compared to the humidified rooms, and whether there is a causal relationship, and its direction between the number of cases and levels of influenza virus in the rooms is not known. Additional research is required, but this is the first prospective study suggesting that exogenous humidification could serve as a scalable NPI for influenza or other viral outbreaks.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC6155525?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Jennifer M Reiman Biswadeep Das Gregory M Sindberg Mark D Urban Madeleine E M Hammerlund Han B Lee Katie M Spring Jamie Lyman-Gingerich Alex R Generous Tyler H Koep Kevin Ewing Phil Lilja Felicity T Enders Stephen C Ekker W Charles Huskins Hind J Fadel Chris Pierret Humidity as a non-pharmaceutical intervention for influenza A. PLoS ONE |
| title | Humidity as a non-pharmaceutical intervention for influenza A. |
| title_full | Humidity as a non-pharmaceutical intervention for influenza A. |
| title_fullStr | Humidity as a non-pharmaceutical intervention for influenza A. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Humidity as a non-pharmaceutical intervention for influenza A. |
| title_short | Humidity as a non-pharmaceutical intervention for influenza A. |
| title_sort | humidity as a non pharmaceutical intervention for influenza a |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC6155525?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jennifermreiman humidityasanonpharmaceuticalinterventionforinfluenzaa AT biswadeepdas humidityasanonpharmaceuticalinterventionforinfluenzaa AT gregorymsindberg humidityasanonpharmaceuticalinterventionforinfluenzaa AT markdurban humidityasanonpharmaceuticalinterventionforinfluenzaa AT madeleineemhammerlund humidityasanonpharmaceuticalinterventionforinfluenzaa AT hanblee humidityasanonpharmaceuticalinterventionforinfluenzaa AT katiemspring humidityasanonpharmaceuticalinterventionforinfluenzaa AT jamielymangingerich humidityasanonpharmaceuticalinterventionforinfluenzaa AT alexrgenerous humidityasanonpharmaceuticalinterventionforinfluenzaa AT tylerhkoep humidityasanonpharmaceuticalinterventionforinfluenzaa AT kevinewing humidityasanonpharmaceuticalinterventionforinfluenzaa AT phillilja humidityasanonpharmaceuticalinterventionforinfluenzaa AT felicitytenders humidityasanonpharmaceuticalinterventionforinfluenzaa AT stephencekker humidityasanonpharmaceuticalinterventionforinfluenzaa AT wcharleshuskins humidityasanonpharmaceuticalinterventionforinfluenzaa AT hindjfadel humidityasanonpharmaceuticalinterventionforinfluenzaa AT chrispierret humidityasanonpharmaceuticalinterventionforinfluenzaa |