Journal Article

Airborne Influenza Virus in Daycare Centers

Yang, Chun-Yuh, Wang, Yu-Chun, Zhang, Jia Lin, Lee, Yi Lien, Chen, Pei-Shih

2024

Overview

In this study, we investigated the concentration of airborne influenza virus in daycare centers and influencing factors, such as common cold prevalence, air pollutants, and meteorological factors. A total of 209 air samples were collected from daycare centers in Kaohsiung and the influenza virus was analyzed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Air pollutants and metrological factors were measured using real-time monitoring equipment. Winter had the highest positive rates of airborne influenza virus and the highest prevalence of the common cold, followed by summer and autumn. The concentration of CO was significantly positively correlated with airborne influenza virus. Daycare center A, with natural ventilation and air condition systems, had a higher concentration of airborne influenza A virus, airborne fungi, and airborne bacteria, as well as a higher prevalence of the common cold, than daycare center B, with a mechanical ventilation system and air purifiers, while the concentrations of CO2, CO, and UFPs in daycare center A were lower than those in daycare center B. We successfully detected airborne influenza virus in daycare centers, demonstrating that aerosol sampling for influenza can provide novel epidemiological insights and inform the management of influenza in daycare centers.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: aerosols / air / Air conditioning / Air Microbiology / air pollutants / Air Pollutants - analysis / Air pollution measurements / Airborne bacteria / Airborne infection / autumn / Bacteria / Carbon dioxide / Child Day Care Centers / Child, Preschool / Common cold / Common Cold - epidemiology / Common Cold - transmission / Common Cold - virology / Day care centers / Daycare / daycare centers / Environmental Monitoring / Epidemiology / Fungi / Health aspects / Humans / Humidity / infectious bioaerosols / Influenza / Influenza A / Influenza A virus / Influenza A virus - genetics / Influenza A virus - isolation & purification / Influenza, Human - epidemiology / Influenza, Human - transmission / Influenza, Human - virology / Laboratories / Mechanical ventilation / natural ventilation / Orthomyxoviridae - genetics / Orthomyxoviridae - isolation & purification / Pollutants / Prevalence / quantitative polymerase chain reaction / Risk factors / Seasons / Students / summer / Ventilation / Viruses