Household‐level risk factors for secondary influenza‐like illness in a rural area of Bangladesh

• Published in: Tropical medicine & international health 2017-02, Vol.22 (2), p.187-195
• Main Authors: Weaver, Anne M., Khatun‐e‐Jannat, Kaniz, Cercone, Emily, Krytus, Kimberly, Sohel, Badrul Munir, Ahmed, Makhdum, Rahman, Mustafizur, Azziz‐Baumgartner, Eduardo, Yu, Jihnhee, Fry, Alicia M., Luby, Stephen P., Ram, Pavani K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; air pollution; Bangladesh; Bangladesh - epidemiology; Child; Child, Preschool; Disease transmission; Disease Transmission, Infectious - prevention & control; environmental tobacco smoke; Family Characteristics; Female; Hand Disinfection; Hands; Households; Humans; Hygiene; Infant; Influenza; Influenza, Human - epidemiology; Influenza, Human - transmission; Male; Middle Aged; Original; respiratory infections; Risk Factors; Rural Population; sanitation; Smoking; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1360-2276; 1365-3156
• DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12820

Objective To describe household‐level risk factors for secondary influenza‐like illness (ILI), an important public health concern in the low‐income population of Bangladesh. Methods Secondary analysis of control participants in a randomised controlled trial evaluating the effect of handwashing to prevent household ILI transmission. We recruited index‐case patients with ILI – fever (1 other household. A total of 114 household contacts (7.6%) had symptoms of ILI during follow‐up. Smoking in the home (RRadj 1.9, 95% CI: 1.2, 3.0) and sharing a latrine with one household (RRadj 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2, 3.6) or >1 household (RRadj 3.1, 95% CI: 1.8–5.2) were independently associated with increased risk of secondary ILI. Conclusion Tobacco use in homes could increase respiratory illness in Bangladesh. The mechanism between use of shared latrines and household ILI transmission is not clear. It is possible that respiratory pathogens could be transmitted through faecal contact or contaminated fomites in shared latrines. Objectif Décrire les facteurs de risque au niveau des ménages pour les maladies de type grippal (MTG) secondaires, un problème important de santé publique dans la population à faible revenu du Bangladesh. Méthodes Analyse secondaire des participants témoins dans un essai contrôlé randomisé évaluant l'effet du lavage des mains pour éviter la transmission de MTG dans les ménages. Nous avons recruté des patients (cas indices) atteints de MTG ‐ fièvre (