J Hosp Infect. 2025 Jun 6:S0195-6701(25)00168-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2025.05.019. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
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. 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). 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. A virus was detected in 16 (3.3%) of the asymptomatic subjects. Altogether 36 symptomatic ARIs (mean 0.5 per person) were reported. 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 respiratory viruses to vulnerable neonates. Intensified infection control measures are recommended to promote patient safety.
PMID:40484242 | DOI:10.1016/j.jhin.2025.05.019
