This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Tyrrell, D. A.J. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Review : The Transmission of Colds and Coughs

Medical Research Council's Common Cold Unit, Salisbury, Wilts, UK

The commonest adverse health effect from the indoor environment is a respi ratory tract infection, most often a common cold. Any one of a number of viruses can cause colds. The full process by which infections are contracted is poorly understood. However, there must be direct contact between the infect ing agent and the nasal or lower airway cells. Such contact may follow disper sal as airborne droplets (5-20 µm), generated by sneezing. Alternatively, a dose of infective agent may be transmitted on the fingers, causing a cold when these come in contact with susceptible tissue. If this were the case, one would expect to be able to reduce transmission with simple hygiene procedures employing viricidal solutions. The experimental evidence for this is equivocal, suggesting that most common colds are transmitted via the indoor air.

Key Words: Common cold • Respiratory tract infections • Viral infections • Transmission of colds

Indoor and Built Environment, Vol. 1, No. 3, 152-156 (1992)
DOI: 10.1177/1420326X9200100304


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?