The Cough Cylinder: a tool to study measures against airborne spread of (myco-) bacteria
METHODS: We constructed a model to assess ‘real life’ transmission risk by counting viable pathogens from aerosols produced by coughing patients, thus allowing the assessment of outward protection measures in a standardised fashion. During the validation process, we focused on rod-shaped bacteria as surrogates for M. tuberculosis.
RESULTS: The Cough Cylinder enabled us to sample Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and mycobacteria from aerosols produced by patients with cystic fibrosis, primary ciliary dyskinesia and tuberculosis. Pathogens in droplets and in airborne particles could be sampled. Delayed air sampling allowed specific measurement of persistent airborne particles.
CONCLUSION: This novel experimental system allows measurement of aerosol pathogen spread in a highly standardised fashion. It also offers the possibility to assess the impact of different interventions to limit aerosol transmission.
Keywords: aerosol transmission; cough etiquette; infection control; respiratory hygiene; tuberculosis
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: 1: Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands 2: Sydney Institute for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity & The Children's Hospital at Westmead, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 3: Department of Clinical Microbiology of the University Centre for Chronic Diseases Dekkerswald and Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands 4: Department of Respiratory Diseases of the University Centre for Chronic Diseases Dekkerswald and Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands 5: TNO, Rijswijk, The Netherlands 6: Department of Clinical Microbiology of the University Centre for Chronic Diseases Dekkerswald and Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; National Mycobacteria Reference Laboratory, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands 7: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health and Children's Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Unit, Tygerberg Children's Hospital and Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
Publication date: 01 January 2013
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