SARS transmission in Vietnam outside of the health-care setting.

Journal article

To evaluate the risk of transmission of SARS coronavirus outside of the health-care setting, close household and community contacts of laboratory-confirmed SARS cases were identified and followed up for clinical and laboratory evidence of SARS infection. Individual- and household-level risk factors for transmission were investigated. Nine persons with serological evidence of SARS infection were identified amongst 212 close contacts of 45 laboratory-confirmed SARS cases (secondary attack rate 4.2%, 95% CI 1.5-7). In this cohort, the average number of secondary infections caused by a single infectious case was 0.2. Two community contacts with laboratory evidence of SARS coronavirus infection had mild or sub-clinical infection, representing 3% (2/65) of Vietnamese SARS cases. There was no evidence of transmission of infection before symptom onset. Physically caring for a symptomatic laboratory-confirmed SARS case was the only independent risk factor for SARS transmission (OR 5.78, 95% CI 1.23-24.24).

Authors: Tuan, P; Horby, P; Dinh, P; Mai, LT; Zambon, M

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Epidemiology and infection
• Volume: 135
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 392-401
• Publication date: 2007-04-01
• DOI: 10.1017/s0950268806006996
• EISSN: 1469-4409
• ISSN: 0950-2688
• Language: English
• Keywords: Aged, 80 and over; Adult; Child; Vietnam; Aged; WHO SARS Investigation Team in Vietnam; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome; Child, Preschool; Female; Male; Risk Factors; Adolescent; Infant; Disease Outbreaks; Middle Aged; Humans