Recurrent outbreaks of giardiasis in a child day care center, Wisconsin

In the 19-month period September 1983-March 1985, three outbreaks of giardiasis occurred in one large child day care center. Control measures instituted during each outbreak included case finding; pharmacologic treatment and follow-up testing of stool specimens for cases of giardia infection in day care children and staff, and their household contacts; facilitating and stressing personal and environmental hygiene, including altering diapering practices and teaching appropriate hand washing techniques. In the first, second, and third outbreaks, overall attack rates (stool analysis positive for Giardia lamblia) were determined for those persons with greater than or equal to 2 stool specimens submitted; attack rates in children were 47, 17, and 37 per cent, respectively; for tested staff, the rates were 35, 13, and 9 per cent; and for tested household contacts were 18, 9, and 5 per cent. Attack rates were highest for ambulatory diapered children, children attending the day care center greater than or equal to 40 hours per week, and children who were infected with G. lamblia in the most recent previous outbreak. Despite extensive efforts to identify cases, a cure rate of greater than 90 per cent in treated cases, and improvements in personal and environmental hygiene practices, G. lamblia infections recurred in outbreak proportions.