Volume 11, Number 7—July 2005
Letter
Avian Influenza H5N1 and Healthcare Workers
Constance Schultsz*
, Vo Cong Dong†, Nguyen Van Vinh Chau‡, Nguyen Thi Hanh Le†, Wilina Lim§, Tran Tan Thanh*, Christiane Dolecek*, Menno D. de Jong*, Tran Tinh Hien‡, and Jeremy Farrar*
, Vo Cong Dong†, Nguyen Van Vinh Chau‡, Nguyen Thi Hanh Le†, Wilina Lim§, Tran Tan Thanh*, Christiane Dolecek*, Menno D. de Jong*, Tran Tinh Hien‡, and Jeremy Farrar*
Table
Characteristics of 60 healthcare workers exposed to avian influenza patient A, patient B, or both
| Characteristic* | No. (%) |
|---|---|
| Median age (y) (n = 60) | 33 (range 22–54) |
| Male/female (n = 60) | 14/46 |
| Occupation (n = 60) | |
| Nurse | 28 (46.7) |
| Physician | 10 (16.7) |
| Cleaner | 9 (15.0) |
| Technician (laboratory/radiology) | 9 (15.0) |
| Other | 4 (6.7) |
| Flulike illness in preceding 2 weeks (n = 49) | 6 (12.0) |
| Contact with poultry or birds (healthy or sick) (n = 59) | 2 (3.4) |
| Recent travel to Mekong Delta (n = 59) | 5 (8.4) |
| Duration of exposure (n = 59) | |
| <12 h | 30 (50.8) |
| 12–36 h | 18 (30.5) |
| >36 h | 11 (18.6) |
| Contact with secretions (n = 59) | |
| Yes | 15 (25.4) |
| No | 15 (25.4) |
| Don't know | 29 (49.2) |
*n indicates number of healthcare workers for which data were available.
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