Detection of Bordetella pertussis and respiratory syncytial virus in air samples from hospital rooms

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the distribution of Bordetella pertussis and respira tory syncytial virus (RSV) in the hospital setting. DESIGN: Air samples were collected using filters in the hospital rooms of 1 2 children with pertussis and 27 children with RSV infection. Material elut ed from these filters was subjected to RSV- and B pertussis-specific polyme rase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. SETTING: Patients were hospitalized in private rooms in one of two referral centers, a university teaching hospital and a university-affiliated privat e children's hospital. PATIENTS: 12 children (16 days-3 years of age) with documented pertussis in fection and 27 patients (10 days-7 years of age) with documented RSV infect ion. RESULTS: B pertussis DNA was detected in 7 (58%) of 12 rooms housing pertus sis patients and in 16 (25%) of 63 total samples. B pertussis DNA was detec ted as far as 4 m away from the patient's bedside. The detection of B pertu ssis DNA in air samples did not change over the short duration of hospitali zation. RSV RNA was detected in 17 (63%) of 27 rooms housing RSV-infected p atients and in 32 (22%) of 143 total samples. RSV RNA was detected at dista nces as far as 7 m from the patient's bedside and for up to 7 days of hospi talization. CONCLUSIONS: Using PCR-based detection methods, B pertussis DNA and RSV RNA both can be detected in air samples from the hospital rooms of infected pa tients. Both can be detected at large distances from a patient's bedside in a minority of cases. These detection methods are suitable for further stud ies of control measures used to contain nosocomial infections caused by bot h B pertussis and RSV.