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Atlanta, GA – A recent study reveals that increasing ventilation in child-care settings may not significantly curb the spread of influenza viruses. The research, conducted by experts from Emory University, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and Virginia Tech, challenges the effectiveness of improved ventilation as a sole strategy for controlling flu outbreaks in environments like child-care centers.
Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study utilized a play-based model involving ferrets to simulate a child-care environment. The researchers set up a scenario where one infected ferret interacted with four uninfected ferrets in a playpen equipped with toys and various surfaces. This setup aimed to replicate the close-contact interactions typical of a child-care setting.
“Ferrets serve as an excellent model for children due to their playful behavior and similar responses to influenza, making them ideal for this type of research,” said Dr. Seema S. Lakdawala, the study’s corresponding author and associate professor at Emory University’s School of Medicine.
The researchers tested two different ventilation conditions—high and low—to assess their impact on flu virus transmission. Contrary to expectations, they found that the incidence of illness among the ferrets was comparable in both conditions. While higher ventilation resulted in marginally lower airborne virus levels, the amount of virus on surfaces remained similar regardless of ventilation rates.
Dr. Nicole Rockey, the study’s lead author and a former postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Lakdawala’s lab, emphasized the importance of realistic models in assessing public health interventions. “Our findings underscore the necessity of simulating real-world conditions when evaluating the effectiveness of measures designed to prevent virus transmission,” said Rockey, now an assistant professor at Duke University.
The study highlights that while increased ventilation did not substantially reduce flu transmission in this play-based model, it might still be beneficial in other settings, such as office buildings where close contact is less frequent. The researchers advocate for a multi-faceted approach to reducing respiratory virus spread, as no single intervention is likely to eliminate transmission completely.
This research is part of the broader MITIGATE FLU program, which aims to enhance strategies for controlling influenza in child-care centers. The program also involves surveillance activities using aerosol sampling devices developed by researchers at Virginia Tech and the University of Michigan.
Dr. Linsey Marr, a professor at Virginia Tech and lead principal investigator for the MITIGATE FLU program, noted, “Our ferret playpen model allows us to test different interventions in a realistic setting, helping us to refine strategies for reducing flu transmission in child-care environments.”
Future studies will further explore the specific behaviors that facilitate flu spread and evaluate the effectiveness of other interventions, such as air filtration systems, to improve infection control in child-care settings.
More information: Nicole C. Rockey et al, “Ventilation does not affect close-range transmission of influenza virus in a ferret playpen setup,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2322660121
