Household Influenza Transmission Study

HITS is a multi-year project that will prospectively identify laboratory-confirmed influenza infected children. Secondary influenza infection will then be examined among members of the child's household and effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions to decrease secondary infection will be assessed. The pediatric influenza-infected index case will be identified by rapid influenza testing and their household will then be enrolled and randomized to one of three study arms: control, hand washing (Intervention 1), and hand washing and mask use (Intervention 2). Following enrollment, at days 0, 3 and 7, all household participants will be tested: the index case will be assessed for influenza viral shedding and household members will be assessed for secondary influenza infection. This study is being conducted at Queen Sirikit Institute for Child Health in Bangkok.