Cystic fibrosis pathogens survive for extended periods within cough-generated droplet nuclei.

Wood, Michelle E; Stockwell, Rebecca E; Johnson, Graham R; Ramsay, Kay A; Sherrard, Laura J; Kidd, Timothy J; Cheney, Joyce; Ballard, Emma L et al. · Thorax · 2019

cross_sectional · Level IV

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Abstract

The airborne route is a potential pathway in the person-to-person transmission of bacterial strains among cystic fibrosis (CF) populations. In this cross-sectional study, we investigate the physical properties and survival of common non-<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> CF pathogens generated during coughing. We conclude that Gram-negative bacteria and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> are aerosolised during coughing, can travel up to 4 m and remain viable within droplet nuclei for up to 45 min. These results suggest that airborne person-to-person transmission is plausible for the CF pathogens we measured.

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