University of Minnesota
https://twin-cities.umn.edu/
612-625-5000
Milestone
1.4.a

Transmission study designs

In progress
High priority

Review optimal study designs for evaluating influenza transmission, including controlled human influenza virus infection model (CHIVIM) studies and household and school-based transmission studies.

Progress Highlights

The NIAID supported EMIT-2 study has developed and implemented analytical models of influenza transmission to optimize a hotel quarantine facility for conducting CHIVIMs that mitigates the risk of unwanted transmission outside of the experimental environment.

See study record


Lane 2024 summarized discussions and outcomes from NIAID’s workshop (CHIVIM studies: current status and future directions for innovation, Nov. 13-14, 2023), which addresses issues regarding the feasibility of conducting transmission studies using CHIVIM studies. 

See summary
 

Belser 2023 analyzed practical obstacles and limitations on performing virus transmission studies in laboratory environments, the additional challenges posed by conducting these experiments concurrent with in vivo experimentation, and how continued investment in this work will provide greater understanding of the role aerosols play in viral transmission.

See research

Shetty 2024 used a CHIVIM with H3N2 seasonal influenza virus to study influenza transmission, including symptom progression and the dynamics of virus shedding, to inform the design of future challenge studies focused on modeling and limiting transmission. 

See research
 

Nguyen-Van-Tam 2020 conducted a human influenza transmission challenge study to assess the importance of aerosol transmission in human-to-human transmission of influenza viruses.

See research