Nipah Virus Contamination of Hospital Surfaces during Outbreaks, Bangladesh, 2013-2014.

Nipah virus (NiV) has been transmitted from patient to caregivers in Bangladesh presumably through oral secretions. We aimed to detect whether NiV-infected patients contaminate hospital surfaces with the virus. During December 2013-April 2014, we collected 1 swab sample from 5 surfaces near NiV-infected patients and tested surface and oral swab samples by real-time reverse transcription PCR for NiV RNA. We identified 16 Nipah patients; 12 cases were laboratory-confirmed and 4 probable. Of the 12 laboratory-confirmed cases, 10 showed NiV RNA in oral swab specimens. We obtained surface swab samples for 6 Nipah patients; 5 had evidence of NiV RNA on >1 surface: 4 patients contaminated towels, 3 bed sheets, and 1 the bed rail. Patients with NiV RNA in oral swab samples were significantly more likely than other Nipah patients to die. To reduce the risk for fomite transmission of NiV, infection control should target hospital surfaces.

Investigation of the environment and of mothers in transmission of rotavirus infections in the neonatal nursery.

A distinct feature of neonatal rotavirus infection is the association of unusual strains that appear to be prevalent only in neonatal units and persist for long periods of time. The main aims of this study were to determine if rotavirus can be detected on environmental surfaces in the neonatal nursery and whether the infection occurs in mothers of infected and uninfected neonates. Thirty rotavirus positive neonates and an equal number of negative neonates were enrolled in this study. Stool samples from 15 mothers in each group and environmental swabs collected from the bed and surfaces around neonates were tested for rotavirus using single round and nested PCR for the VP6 gene. Rotavirus could be detected in environmental swabs using single round PCR for VP6 gene in 40% of neonates positive for rotavirus antigen by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and 33.3% of EIA negative neonates. The detection rate was almost 100% using the nested VP6 PCR. Rotavirus was detected in maternal samples only if the nested VP6 PCR was used, with no significant difference between rates of rotavirus detection in maternal fecal samples of infected and uninfected neonates (p-0.4). Sequence analysis of nested VP6 amplicons from two environmental swabs revealed them to be closest in identity to G10P[11], the most common genotype causing infections in neonates in this setting. Interestingly, sequences of amplicons from maternal stool samples did not cluster with G10P[11] or other VP6 subgroup I strains but showed clustering with human strains of VP6 subgroup II.