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Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Detection of Viruses from Bioaerosols Using Anion Exchange Resin
Published on: August 22, 2018
Molecular surveillance of respiratory viruses with bioaerosol sampling in an airport
Emily S Bailey1,2, Jessica Y Choi1,2, Juliana Zemke1,2
11Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, 310 Trent Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27710 USA.
Abstract:
Recognizing that crowded, high-traffic airports and airplanes have been implicated in respiratory disease transmission, we partnered with administrators of Raleigh Durham International Airport (RDU) in conducting a pilot study of aerosol surveillance for respiratory viruses at RDU. From January to March 2018 we used NIOSH 2-stage samplers to collect 150 min aerosol samples in crowded areas at RDU. Four (17%) of the 24 samples were positive for known respiratory pathogens including influenza D virus and adenovirus. These results suggest the feasibility of employing bioaerosol surveillance techniques in public transportation areas, such as airports, as a noninvasive way to detect and characterize novel respiratory viruses.
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