The spread of Coxsackie B1 infection

During June and July 1977 5 junior boys in a boarding school for 800 pupils became ill with a mild infection caused by Coxsackie B1. The school had been taking part in a vaccine trial, and paired blood samples had been taken from new entrants in October 1976 and October 1977. 18% of the boys susceptible to the infection developed antibodies. The results suggest that dormitories are more important than the day-to-day contacts in the spread of infection. The advisability of nursing children with known or suspected enterovirus infections in open wards in hospital is questioned.