Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
J Hosp Infect. 2011 Aug;78(4):308-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2011.02.017. Epub 2011 Apr 17.
During the first wave of an influenza pandemic prior to the availability of an effective vaccine, healthcare workers (HCWs) may be at particular risk of infection with the novel influenza strain. We conducted a cross-sectional study of the prevalence of antibody to pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 (pH1N1) among HCWs in Hong Kong in February-March 2010 following the first pandemic wave. Sera collected from HCWs were tested for antibody to pH1N1 influenza virus by viral neutralisation (VN). We assessed factors associated with higher antibody titres, and we compared antibody titres in HCWs with those in a separate community study. In total we enrolled 703 HCWs. Among 599 HCWs who did not report receipt of pH1N1 vaccine, 12% had antibody titre ≥1:40 by VN. There were no significant differences in the age-specific proportions of unvaccinated HCWs with antibody titre ≥1:40 compared with the general community following the first wave of pH1N1. Under good adherence to infection control guidelines, potential occupational exposures in the hospital setting did not appear to be associated with any substantial excess risk of pH1N1 infection in HCWs. Most HCWs had low antibody titres following the first pandemic wave.
在可获得有效疫苗之前的流感大流行第一波期间，医护人员（HCWs）可能特别容易感染新型流感株。在 2010 年 2 月至 3 月第一波大流行之后，我们对香港 HCWs 中流行的甲型流感 A（H1N1）2009（pH1N1）抗体的流行率进行了横断面研究。从 HCWs 收集的血清通过病毒中和（VN）检测 pH1N1 流感病毒抗体。我们评估了与更高抗体滴度相关的因素，并比较了 HCWs 中的抗体滴度与单独的社区研究中的抗体滴度。总共招募了 703 名 HCWs。在未报告接种 pH1N1 疫苗的 599 名 HCWs 中，有 12%的人通过 VN 检测到抗体滴度≥1:40。与 pH1N1 大流行第一波后的一般人群相比，无疫苗接种的 HCWs 中年龄特异性的抗体滴度≥1:40 的比例没有显著差异。在良好遵守感染控制指南的情况下，医院环境中的潜在职业暴露似乎与 HCWs 中 pH1N1 感染的任何实质性过量风险无关。大多数 HCWs 在第一波大流行后抗体滴度较低。
