Related Experiment Videos
Norovirus and child care: challenges in outbreak control
Elmira T Isakbaeva1, Sandra N Bulens, R Suzanne Beard
1Epidemic Intelligence Service, Epidemiology Program Office, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
|June 4, 2005
Summary
A community playgroup outbreak of norovirus gastroenteritis occurred in mothers and children. Early exclusion of symptomatic individuals could have prevented transmission and illness spread.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Community playgroups can be settings for infectious disease transmission among young children and their caregivers.
- Norovirus is a common cause of gastroenteritis outbreaks, particularly in group settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate a norovirus outbreak linked to a community playgroup.
- To identify the source and transmission dynamics of the outbreak.
Main Methods:
- Case investigation of symptomatic individuals attending a playgroup.
- Collection and laboratory testing of fecal specimens.
- Molecular sequencing of norovirus isolates.
Main Results:
- Gastroenteritis affected 6 out of 7 mothers and children within 48 hours.
- Norovirus was confirmed in 5 individuals, with identical genetic sequences.
- No specific hygiene breaches or fecal contact were identified as the source.
Conclusions:
- The index case of gastroenteritis in an infant likely initiated the playgroup outbreak.
- Excluding symptomatic children from group settings may prevent widespread transmission.
- Community settings require vigilance for early identification and control of infectious outbreaks.