News Release

UM undergrad annual recruitment begins for M-FLU study based at SPH.

September 13, 2007, UM SPH release

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- On your marks, get set, ah-ah-ah CHOOO!!

Student recruitment is starting for the second year of the M-FLU study, which will commence when the first case of influenza is confirmed on campus and continue for eight weeks.

The M-FLU study, led by assistant professor Allison Aiello and professor Arnold Monto, both of School of Public Health, received national and international media attention last year for its unique methodology. Like last year, students who volunteer this year will be in one of three groups. One group wears surgical masks, one group wears masks and uses alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and the third is a control group that takes online surveys. The other two groups also take online surveys.

Student are asked to wear the masks for at least six hours in their residence halls, and are encouraged, but not required to wear the masks on campus. An added component of the study is that this year, there is a rapid flu test for participants. This means students can have their throats swabbed, and 10 minutes later know if they are infected, said Rebecca Coulborn, study coordinator.

The purpose of the study is to help researchers understand whether wearing surgical masks and using alcohol-based hand sanitizers will help to thwart the spread of influenza if a pandemic happens. If a pandemic does occur, experts foresee a severe shortage of pharmaceutical interventions. Most people will not have access to vaccines so non-pharmaceutical interventions will be crucial, said Genevra Murray, M-FLU study manager. This study will tell researchers how non-pharmaceutical interventions can be used feasibly and effectively, and how they cannot.

Students who agree to participate in the study are essentially helping to develop national policy to establish non-pharmaceutical interventions that will thwart the spread of influenza if a pandemic outbreak occurs, Aiello said. .

Flu season is fickle, and could begin anytime after November. Last year, the intervention component of the study – when students don the masks -- began Jan. 29. Participants must be students 18 or over, and live in East Quadrangle, West Quadrangle, South Quadrangle, Bursley Hall, or Alice Lloyd Hall. M-FLU needs about 2250 volunteers, which is about half the combined total student population of the residence halls in the study.

Each of the halls will host student events for participants, Coulborn said, such as group viewings of "Grey's Anatomy" and other fun, social events. Students receive $40 to $100 for participating, depending on the group. They also can receive $25 for every throat and nasal swab they volunteer.

The study is a partnership between SPH, University Housing, and the University Health Services. It's funded by the Centers for Disease Control.

If interested, eligible students can stop by M-FLU study tables at the five participating residence halls during afternoon and evening dining hours. Or go to the website www.mflu.org

Contact: Terri Mellow, director of communications
Phone: (734) 764-8094
E-mail: twm@umich.edu