TY - JOUR AU - Kuster, Stefan AU - Coleman, Brenda AU - Raboud, Janet AU - McNeil, Shelly AU - De Serres, Gaston AU - Gubbay, Jonathan AU - Hatchette, Todd AU - Katz, Kevin AU - Loeb, Mark AU - Low, Donald AU - Mazzulli, Tony AU - Simor, Andrew AU - McGeer, Allison AU - Kuster, Stefan AU - Coleman, Brenda AU - Raboud, Janet AU - McNeil, Shelly AU - De Serres, Gaston AU - Gubbay, Jonathan AU - Hatchette, Todd AU - Katz, Kevin AU - Loeb, Mark AU - Low, Donald AU - Mazzulli, Tony AU - Simor, Andrew AU - McGeer, Allison T1 - Risk Factors for Influenza among Health Care Workers during 2009 Pandemic, Toronto, Ontario, Canada T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2013 VL - 19 IS - 4 SP - 606 SN - 1080-6059 AB - This prospective cohort study, performed during the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic, was aimed to determine whether adults working in acute care hospitals were at higher risk than other working adults for influenza and to assess risk factors for influenza among health care workers (HCWs). We assessed the risk for influenza among 563 HCWs and 169 non-HCWs using PCR to test nasal swab samples collected during acute respiratory illness; results for 13 (2.2%) HCWs and 7 (4.1%) non-HCWs were positive for influenza. Influenza infection was associated with contact with family members who had acute respiratory illnesses (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 6.9, 95% CI 2.2–21.8); performing aerosol-generating medical procedures (AOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1–3.5); and low self-reported adherence to hand hygiene recommendations (AOR 0.9, 95% CI 0.7–1.0). Contact with persons with acute respiratory illness, rather than workplace, was associated with influenza infection. Adherence to infection control recommendations may prevent influenza among HCWs. KW - Influenza virus KW - health care worker KW - risk KW - hand hygiene KW - acute care KW - personal protective equipment KW - PPE KW - Influenza KW - virus KW - viruses KW - pandemic KW - transmission KW - respiratory KW - ventilation KW - aerosol KW - Canada KW - Vaccine DO - 10.3201/eid1904.111812 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/19/4/11-1812_article ER - End of Reference