How influenza spreads indoors and what can reduce it
Evaluating Modes of Influenza Transmission (EMIT-2) using Innovative Technologies and Designs in Controlled Environments
This project tests whether better ventilation and air sanitation, or improved hand hygiene and face shields, cut seasonal flu spread from infected adults to susceptible volunteers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Maryland, College Park NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Park, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11103242 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers will enroll adults who are recently infected with influenza and adults who are susceptible and willing to volunteer. They will randomly assign conditions that change ventilation and air sanitation or require hand hygiene and face shields, then monitor whether the virus passes from infected people to volunteers. The team will collect air and surface samples, measure virus in different particle sizes, and link infections to symptoms and antibody levels. They will also build computer models to understand how airflow and behaviors combine to drive transmission.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults aged 21 or older who either have a recent confirmed influenza infection or are serologically susceptible and willing to participate in controlled exposure and monitoring procedures are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Children under 21, people unable to travel to the study site, those ineligible for controlled human studies due to medical risks, or people already immune to the circulating strain may not receive direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to practical steps like improved ventilation, air sanitation, or simple protective measures that reduce flu spread and illness.
How similar studies have performed: Human-challenge and observational studies have supported airborne transmission and benefits of ventilation, but this randomized trial pairing naturally infected transmitters with advanced aerosol measurements is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
College Park, United States
- Univ of Maryland, College Park — College Park, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Milton, Donald Kirby — Univ of Maryland, College Park
- Study coordinator: Milton, Donald Kirby
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.