AJIC: American Journal of Infection Control
Volume 38, Issue 2 , Pages 139-143 , March 2010

Effect of exclusion policy on the control of outbreaks of suspected viral gastroenteritis: Analysis of outbreak investigations in care homes

  • Roberto Vivancos, MD, FFPH

      Affiliations

    • Cheshire & Merseyside Health Protection Unit, Health Protection Agency, Liverpool L33 7XW, UK
    • School of Medicine Health Policy & Practice, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to Dr Roberto Vivancos, School of Medicine, Health Policy & Practice, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
    • ,
  • Torbjorn Sundkvist, MD, FFPH

      Affiliations

    • Norfolk Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Health Protection Unit, Health Protection Agency, Thetford IP24 1JD, UK
    • ,
  • Deborah Barker, BA (Hons)

      Affiliations

    • Norfolk Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Health Protection Unit, Health Protection Agency, Thetford IP24 1JD, UK
    • ,
  • Janice Burton, RN

      Affiliations

    • Norfolk Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Health Protection Unit, Health Protection Agency, Thetford IP24 1JD, UK
    • ,
  • Pat Nair, FRCPath, FFPH

      Affiliations

    • Norfolk Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Health Protection Unit, Health Protection Agency, Thetford IP24 1JD, UK

References 

  1. Goodgame R. Norovirus gastroenteritis. Curr Infect Dis Rep. 2007;9:102–109
  2. Norovirus outbreak associated with ill food-service workers—Michigan, January-February 2006. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2007;56:1212–1216
  3. Bowen A, Fry A, Richards G, Beuchat L. Infections associated with cantaloupe consumption: a public health concern. Epidemiol Infect. 2006;134:675–685
  4. Cotterelle B, Drougard C, Rolland J, Becamel M, Boudon M, Pinede S, et al. Outbreak of norovirus infection associated with the consumption of frozen raspberries, France, March 2005. Eur Surveill. 2005;10:E050428
  5. Falkenhorst G, Krusell L, Lisby M, Madsen SB, Bottiger B, Molbak K. Imported frozen raspberries cause a series of norovirus outbreaks in Denmark, 2005. Eur Surveill. 2005;10:E050922
  6. Ng TL, Chan PP, Phua TH, Loh JP, Yip R, Wong C, et al. Oyster-associated outbreaks of Norovirus gastroenteritis in Singapore. J Infect. 2005;51:413–418
  7. Schmid D, Stuger HP, Lederer I, Pichler AM, Kainz-Arnfelser G, Schreier E, et al. A foodborne norovirus outbreak due to manually prepared salad, Austria 2006. Infection. 2007;35:232–239
  8. Lopman B, Vennema H, Kohli E, Pothier P, Sanchez A, Negredo A, et al. Increase in viral gastroenteritis outbreaks in Europe and epidemic spread of new norovirus variant. Lancet. 2004;363:682–688
  9. Widdowson MA, Sulka A, Bulens SN, Beard RS, Chaves SS, Hammond R, et al. Norovirus and foodborne disease, United States, 1991–2000. Emerg Infect Dis. 2005;11:95–102
  10. Graham DY, Jiang X, Tanaka T, Opekun AR, Madore HP, Estes MK. Norwalk virus infection of volunteers: new insights based on improved assays. J Infect Dis. 1994;170:34–43
  11. Okhuysen PC, Jiang X, Ye L, Johnson PC, Estes MK. Viral shedding and fecal IgA response after Norwalk virus infection. J Infect Dis. 1995;171:566–569
  12. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Norovirus activity—United States, 2006–2007. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2007;842–846
  13. Atmar RL, Estes MK. The epidemiologic and clinical importance of norovirus infection. Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 2006;35:275–290viii
  14. Chadwick PR, Beards G, Brown D, Caul EO, Cheesbrough J, Clarke I, et al. Management of hospital outbreaks of gastro-enteritis due to small roundstructured viruses. J Hosp Infect. 2000;45:1–10
  15. Office for National Statistics . T 08: Selected age groups for local authorities in the United Kingdom; estimated resident population; mid-2002 to mid-2005. Population estimates; reflecting the revisions due to improved international migration. National Statistics. 2007;Available from: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/ssdataset.asp?vlnk=9394&Pos=4&ColRank=2&Rank=416Accessed September 12, 2009
  16. Commission for Social Care Inspection. Making social care better for people . Commission for Social Care Inspection. 2009;Available from: http://www.cqc.org.ukAccessed September 12, 2009
  17. Health Protection Agency. Gastroenteritis: Outbreaks. National Standard Method 2007; VSOP 3, issue 6. Available from: http://www.hpa-standardmethods.org.uk/pdf_sops.asp. Accessed November 18, 2008.
  18. Health Protection Agency. Gastroenteritis: Sporadic cases. National Standard Method 2007; VSOP 2, issue 5. Available from: http://www.hpa-standardmethods.org.uk/pdf_sops.asp. Accessed November 18, 2008.
  19. Diggs R, Diallo A, Kan H, Glymph C, Furness BW, Chai SJ. Norovirus outbreak in an elementary school—District of Columbia, February 2007. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2008;56:1340–1343

 All of the authors were funded by the Health Protection Agency. The statistical software used is under license to the University of East Anglia. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

PII: S0196-6553(09)00545-8

doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2009.02.011

AJIC: American Journal of Infection Control
Volume 38, Issue 2 , Pages 139-143 , March 2010

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