Viral acute respiratory infections in neonatal intensive care healthcare workers: a nine-month point-prevalence cohort study

Abstract

<p><strong>Background: </strong>Healthcare-acquired viral acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a common problem in neonatal care. Health-care workers may transmit viruses to neonates when having a symptomatic or asymptomatic ARI.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>This prospective nine-month repeated point-prevalence cohort study aimed to investigate the occurrence and aetiology of asymptomatic and symptomatic ARIs in health-care employees in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Flocked nasal swabs were collected on every second Tuesday in a NICU from all personnel working on that day. Additionally, in the case of ARI symptoms, a nasal swab was self-collected by the study subjects.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>A virus was detected in 16 (3.3%) of the asymptomatic subjects. Altogether 36 symptomatic ARIs (mean 0.5 per person) were reported.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our data suggests that ARIs are not uncommon among NICU health-care workers and moreover are commonly asymptomatic. It is noteworthy that these individuals may transmit.</p>