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[Study of a disease outbreak in a home for the aged]
J A Gómez de Caso1, J A Franco Yagüe, J M Castillo Izquierdo
1Equipo de Atención Primaria de Riaza y Servicio Territorial de Sanidad y Bienestar Social de Segovia.
Objective:
To describe an epidemic outbreak in an elderly persons' home.
Design:
A descriptive, longitudinal study.
Setting:
Elderly persons' home in the Riaza Health District, Segovia.
Patients And Participants:
90 elderly people resident at this geriatric centre.
Measurements And Main Results:
Between January 18 and 25, 1995, there was an epidemic outbreak. Some cases had digestive symptoms: diarrhoea and vomiting, but without a temperature. Other cases had respiratory symptoms with temperature, cough, expectoration, breathing difficulty and myalgia. 25 elderly people were affected: 68% suffering the respiratory symptoms; and 32%, the digestive ones. Three people were admitted to hospital and one died. The presence of Rotavirus was found in the faeces of patients with digestive symptoms. The study-period had the highest incidence of flu in this Health District. 20% of the elderly people were not vaccinated for flu.
Conclusions:
Elderly persons' homes are an environment which favours the spread of germs which can cause epidemic situations.