Volume 10, Number 2—February 2004
THEME ISSUE
2004 SARS Edition
SARS Transmission
Lack of SARS Transmission and U.S. SARS Case-Patient
, E. Claire Newbern*†, Daniel R. Feikin*, Elmira T. Isakbaeva*, Benjamin J. Park*, Jason T. Fehr‡, Ashley C. LaMonte*, Thong P. Le§, Terry L. Burger¶, Luther V. Rhodes¶#, Andre Weltman**, Dean D. Erdman*, Thomas G. Ksiazek*, Jairam R. Lingappa*, and the SARS Pennsylvania Case Investigation Team
Table
Characteristics of contacts of SARS case-patient—Pennsylvania, 2003
| Prediagnosisa | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable |
All contacts (N = 41) (%) |
Healthcare workers
(n = 17) (%) |
Household contacts
(n = 4) (%) |
Otherb
(n = 5) (%) |
Postdiagnosisa healthcare workers
(n = 15) (%) |
| Age (y) |
|||||
| >50 |
9 (22) |
4 (24) |
0 (0) |
3 (60) |
2 (13) |
| 18–49 |
31 (76) |
13 (77) |
3 (75) |
2 (40) |
13 (87) |
| <18 |
1 (2) |
0 |
1 (25) |
0 |
0 |
| Male |
10 (24) |
4 (24) |
1 (25) |
2 (40) |
3 (20) |
| No. minutes of total contact per person, median (range) |
28 (1–741) |
7.5 (1–30) |
459 (241–741) |
30 (10–150) |
110 (10–280) |
| Types of contact, |
|||||
| Within 3 feet |
38 (93) |
17 (100) |
4 (100) |
2 (40) |
15 (100) |
| Skin to object |
17 (41) |
12 (71) |
4 (100) |
1 (20) |
0 |
| Skin to skin |
13 (32) |
9 (53) |
2 (50) |
1 (20) |
1 (7) |
| Use of PPEc |
13 (32) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
13 (87) |
| Postexposure symptomsd |
|||||
| Fever |
4 (10) |
0 (0) |
1 (25) |
1 (20) |
2 (13) |
| Respiratory symptoms |
11 (27) |
7 (41) |
1 (25) |
2 (40) |
1 (7) |
| Met case definition (suspect case) |
2 (5) |
0 |
1 (25) |
0 |
1 (7) |
| Furloughed from work, no. (%) |
11 (27) |
7 (41) |
2 (50) |
1 (20) |
1 (7) |
| Total no. of specimens collected (average/person) |
|||||
| Serum |
125 (3) |
63 (3.7) |
14 (3.5) |
9 (1.8) |
39 (2.6) |
| Nasopharyngeal swab |
35 (0.9) |
17 (1) |
4 (1) |
4 (0.8) |
10 (0.7) |
| Oropharyngeal swab |
124 (3) |
64 (3.8) |
14 (3.5) |
12 (2.4) |
34 (2.3) |
| Stool |
21 (0. 5) |
10 (0. 6) |
3 (0. 8) |
5 (1) |
3 (0.2) |
| Urine |
4 (0.1) |
0 |
4 (1) |
0 |
0 |
| No. of days from last contact to last serum collection, median (range)e | 28 (8–37) | 28 (8–29) | 29 (28–37) | 16.5 (11–28)e | 25 (22–30) |
aPrediagnosis contacts were those exposed to the case-patient after his onset of symptoms (April 3, 22003) but before his diagnosis with probable severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) (April 14). Postdiagnosis contacts were those exposed only after the diagnosis was made and infection control precautions were in effect.
bOther, 4 contacts with healthcare–related exposure and 1 community exposure.
cN95 respirator, gown, gloves. To be counted as having worn personal protective equipment (PPE), contact had to have worn it for every interaction with the case-patient.
dSymptoms occurring during the 10-day period after contact with the case-patient.
eMedian and range for “other” category is for 4 contacts, since 1 contact did not provide any serum specimens.
1Members of the Pennsylvania SARS Investigation Team: Marc-Alain Widdowson, Nino Khetsuriani, L. Clifford McDonald, Stephan S. Monroe, Suxiang Tong, James A. Comer, Daniel Jernigan, Matthew J. Kuehnert, Joseph S. Bresee, Sara A. Lowther, and Larry J. Anderson (CDC); Mary Theresa Temarantz, John P. Bart, William S. Miller, Mary Jo Lampart, and Carol Yozviak (Pennsylvania Department of Health); Shana Stites, (Bethlehem Bureau of Health); Susan Oliver, Debra Wilson, Carol Guanowsky, and Beverly Wasko (Lehigh Valley Hospital); Corwin A. Roberston (CDC and New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services); and Diane Krolikowski, Jeff Bomboy, and Reynaldo C. Guerra.