Epidemiology and Infection

Table of Contents - 2005 - Volume 133, Issue 06  


Seroprevalence of SARS coronavirus antibody in household contacts

C.-C. LEE a1, S.-Y. CHEN a1, I.-J. CHANG a2, P.-C. TSAI a1, T.-C. LU a1, P.-L. WU a1, W.-J. CHEN a1, L.-M. HUANG a3 and S.-C. CHANG a4c1
a1 Department of Emergency Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
a2 Institute of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
a3 Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
a4 Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

Article author query
lee cc   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
chen sy   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
chang ij   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
tsai pc   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
lu tc   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
wu pl   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
chen wj   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
huang lm   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
chang sc   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 

Abstract

Between March and July 2003, 671 cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) were diagnosed in Taiwan with a total of 84 fatalities. After the epidemic, a serological survey was conducted involving the asymptomatic household contacts. Household contacts of 13 index patients were enrolled in the study. Contact history and clinical symptoms of the household contacts were recorded by standardized questionnaires. Blood samples of patients and household contacts were collected at least 28 days after symptom onset in the index patients or household exposure in the contacts for SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) IgG testing. On the basis of this investigation, 29 persons (25 adults and 4 children) were identified as having had unprotected exposure to the index cases before infection-control practices were implemented. Laboratory evaluation of clinical specimens showed no evidence of transmission of SARS-CoV infection to any contacts. This investigation demonstrated that subclinical transmission among household contacts was low in the described setting.

(Published Online July 8 2005)
(Accepted March 21 2005)


Correspondence:
c1 Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7 Rd, Chung-Shan South, Taipei, Taiwan 100. (Email: sc4030@ha.mc.ntu.edu.tw)

Metrics
Related Content