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Epidemiology of H1N1 (2009) Influenza among Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Care Center in Saudi Arabia: A 6-Month Surveillance Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Hanan H. Balkhy ,
Aiman El-Saed  and
Mahmoud Sallah
Hanan H. Balkhy*
Affiliation:
King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Gulf Cooperation Council States and World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Infection Prevention and Control, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Aiman El-Saed
Affiliation:
King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Gulf Cooperation Council States and World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Infection Prevention and Control, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Mahmoud Sallah
Affiliation:
King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
*
Infection Prevention and Control Department-2134, King Abdulaziz Medical City, PO Box 22490, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia ([email protected])
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Extract

Background.

Certain emerging infections, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome and avian influenza, represent a great risk to healthcare workers (HCWs). There are few data about the epidemiology of H1N1 influenza among HCWs.

Methods.

We conducted a prospective surveillance study for all HCWs at King Abdulaziz Medical City (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) who were confirmed positive for H1N1 influenza by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from June 1 through November 30, 2009.

Results.

During 6 months of surveillance, 526 HCWs were confirmed positive for H1N1 influenza. The distribution of these cases showed 2 clear outbreaks: an initial outbreak (peak at early August) and a shorter second wave (peak at end of October). Among all PCR-confirmed cases, the attack rate was significantly higher in clinical HCWs than in nonclinical HCWs (6.0% vs 4.3%; P < .001 ) and in HCWs in emergency departments than in HCWs in other hospital locations (17.4% vs 5.0%, P < .001). The percentage of HCWs who received regular influenza vaccination was greater for clinical HCWs than for nonclinical HCWs (46.2% vs 24.6%; P < .001). The majority of HCWs with confirmed H1N1 influenza were young (mean age ± standard deviation, 34.5 ± 9.5 years), not Saudi (58.4%), female (55.1%), and nurses (36.1%). Approximately 4% of women who were less than 50 years old were pregnant. Reported exposures included contact with a case (41.0%), contact with a sick household member (23.8%), and recent travel history (13.3%). Respiratory symptoms (98.0%), including cough (90.1%), were the most frequently reported symptoms, followed by muscle aches (66.2%), fever (62.5%), headache (57.9%), diarrhea (16.5%), and vomiting (9.8%). None of these HCWs died, and all recovered fully without hospital admission.

Conclusions.

The results confirm the vulnerability of HCWs, whether clinical or nonclinical, to emerging H1N1 influenza.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 31 , Issue 10 , October 2010 , pp. 1004 - 1010
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2010

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