In a 2-week period, eight infants in an intensive care nursery (ICN) developed p

Question

In a 2-week period, eight infants in an intensive care nursery (ICN) developed pneumonia caused by RSV. Complement-fixation (CF) screening and ELISA for viral antigens were performed to diagnose infections. RSV-positive patients were placed in a separate room. A 2-week-old girl from the newborn nursery, adjacent to the ICN, also developed an RSV infection. Toward the end of this outbreak, CF tests and direct ELISA tests were made of ten ICN staff members. ELISA-viral antigen tests were negative; RSV titers as determined by CF are shown below. Comment on the probable source of this outbreak. Explain the apparent discrepancy between the CF test and ELISA results. How can RSV infections in nurseries be prevented?

Explanation / Answer

The disease outbreak is due to the asymptomatic carriers (people who carry the infection without symptoms). Here, nurses are acting as asymptomatic carrier.

The apparent discrepancy between the CF test and ELISA results is due to error in treating the samples. ELISA is a very sensitive test; wrong handling and improper treatment with buffers can results in negative results.

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