Measurement of Particle Sizes Associated with Airborne Viruses

描述（由申请人提供）：卫生保健人员、养猪场和家禽养殖场工人、航空公司和公共交通工人以及其他可能感染各种可通过空气传播的病毒的人员。感染控制专家将病原体通过空气传播分为两类，例如“飞沫传播”和“空气传播”。传统观点认为，传染性病毒的大多数传播是通过飞沫传播的。然而，最近的研究表明，至少有一些病毒可以通过空气传播。值得注意的是，没有人评估过在职业环境中与病毒相关的颗粒大小。我们的研究将回答这个关键问题：“空气传播病毒的机制是否比传统观点认为的更重要？”在这项研究中，将开发方法来量化与空气中不同大小颗粒相关的病毒数量以及这些病毒在任何环境中的生存能力。第一步是将空气中的颗粒分成不同的大小范围。将评估冲击器和差动度分析仪实现这种分离的能力。第二步是分析每个大小范围内的颗粒，以确定其中存在的病毒数量。活病毒（和噬菌体）的定量将通过接种适当的细胞系统（或噬菌体的细菌宿主）来完成。分子方法，如聚合酶链反应（PCR）也将被用作半定量方法来检测活病毒和灭活病毒。方法在实验室得到验证后，将在猪舍和卫生保健设施中使用，以测量与活病毒和非活病毒相关的颗粒大小以及工人可能接触到的颗粒大小。对病毒行为的进一步了解将影响在卫生保健设施、动物设施、公共场所和其他工作场所用于预防病毒传播的程序和技术。最近的研究表明，有些病毒可以通过空气传播。我们将开发方法来量化与空气中不同大小颗粒相关的病毒数量以及这些病毒在环境中的生存能力。然后，这些方法将在猪舍和卫生保健设施中使用，以测量与活病毒和非活病毒相关的颗粒大小以及工人可能接触到的颗粒大小。对病毒行为的进一步了解将有助于预防病毒在卫生保健设施、动物设施、公共场所和其他工作场所的传播。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Health care personnel, swine and poultry farm workers, airline and public transportation workers, and others may be infected by a variety of viruses that can be transmitted through air. Infection control experts divide transmission of infectious agents through air into two categories, e.g., "droplet transmission" and "airborne transmission". Conventional wisdom suggests that most transmission of infectious viruses occurs by droplet transmission. However, more recent research indicates that at least some viruses can be transmitted by the airborne route. Remarkably, no one has assessed the sizes of particles with which viruses are associated in occupational environments. Our research will answer this critical question: `Is airborne viral transmission a more important mechanism than conventional wisdom suggests?" During this study, methods will be developed to quantify the amount of virus associated with airborne particles of different sizes and the viability of these viruses in any environment. The first step is to separate airborne particles into different size ranges. Impactors and differential mobility analyzers will be evaluated for their ability to achieve this separation. The second step is to analyze the particles divided into each size range for the amount of virus present within them. The quantification of live viruses (and a bacteriophage) will be accomplished by inoculation of appropriate cell systems (or bacterial host for bacteriophage). Molecular methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) will also be used as a semiquantitative method to detect both live and inactivated viruses. After methods are validated in the laboratory, they will be used in swine barns and health care facilities to measure particle sizes with which viable and non-viable viruses are associated and to which workers may be exposed. This improved understanding of virus behavior will influence the procedures and technology used to prevent virus transmission in health care facilities, animal facilities, public venues, and other workplaces. Recent research shows that some viruses can be transmitted by the airborne route. We will develop methods to quantify the amount of viruses associated with airborne particles of different sizes and the survivability of these viruses in the environment. These methods will then be used in swine barns and health care facilities to measure particle sizes with which viable and non-viable viruses are associated and to which workers may be exposed. This improved understanding of virus behavior will help prevent virus transmission in health care facilities, animal facilities, public venues, and other workplaces.