Design and Validation with Influenza A Virus of an Aerosol Transmission Chamber for Ferrets

Nathalie Turgeon, Marie-Ève Hamelin, Daniel Verreault, Ariane Lévesque, Chantal Rhéaume, Julie Carbonneau, Liva Checkmahomed, Matthieu Girard, Guy Boivin and Caroline Duchaine
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Nathalie Turgeon: Centre de Recherche de l’Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, 2725 Chemin Ste-Foy, Québec City, QC G1V 4G5, Canada
Marie-Ève Hamelin: Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, CHUL, 2705 boulevard Laurier, Québec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada
Daniel Verreault: Research and Development Institute for the Agri-Environment, 2700 rue Einstein, Québec City, QC G1P 3W8, Canada
Ariane Lévesque: Research and Development Institute for the Agri-Environment, 2700 rue Einstein, Québec City, QC G1P 3W8, Canada
Chantal Rhéaume: Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, CHUL, 2705 boulevard Laurier, Québec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada
Julie Carbonneau: Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, CHUL, 2705 boulevard Laurier, Québec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada
Liva Checkmahomed: Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, CHUL, 2705 boulevard Laurier, Québec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada
Matthieu Girard: Research and Development Institute for the Agri-Environment, 2700 rue Einstein, Québec City, QC G1P 3W8, Canada
Guy Boivin: Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, CHUL, 2705 boulevard Laurier, Québec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada
Caroline Duchaine: Centre de Recherche de l’Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, 2725 Chemin Ste-Foy, Québec City, QC G1V 4G5, Canada

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 4, 1-10

Abstract: Background : The importance of aerosols in the spread of viruses like influenza is still a subject of debate. Indeed, most viruses can also be transmitted through direct contact and droplets. Therefore, the importance of the airborne route in a clinical context is difficult to determine. The aim of this study was to design a chamber system to study the airborne transmission of viruses between ferrets. Methods : A system composed of three chambers connected in series, each one housing one ferret and preventing direct contact, was designed. The chambers were designed to house the ferrets for several days and to study the transmission of viruses from an infected (index) ferret to two naïve ferrets via aerosols and droplets or aerosols only. A particle separator was designed that can be used to modulate the size of the particles traveling between the chambers. The chamber system was validated using standard dust as well as with ferrets infected with influenza A virus. Conclusions : The 50% efficiency cut-off of the separator could be modulated between a 5-µm and an 8-µm aerodynamic diameter. In the described setup, influenza A virus was transmitted through the aerosol route in two out of three experiments, and through aerosols and droplets in all three experiments.

Keywords: bioaerosols; influenza virus; ferret animal model; aerosol chamber (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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