Norovirus Outbreak after a School Trip among Girls' High School Students.
- Author:
Yong Jae LEE
1
;
Ue Kyoung HWANG
;
Jong Suk KIM
;
Sang Ki CHO
;
Dong Ryong HA
;
Sung Hoon PARK
;
Young Mee JEE
;
Sung Han KIM
;
Jae Deuk YOON
Author Information
1. Department of Health and Hygiene, Chungbuk Province, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
norovirus;
viral gastroenteritis;
outbreak
- MeSH:
Abdominal Pain;
Bacteria;
Chungcheongbuk-do;
Developed Countries;
Diarrhea;
Escherichia coli O157;
Gastroenteritis;
Groundwater;
Headache;
Humans;
Jeju-do;
Norovirus*;
Salmonella;
Shigella;
Staphylococcus aureus;
Vibrio;
Vomiting;
Water Supply
- From:Journal of the Korean Academy of Family Medicine
2004;25(8):610-616
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Norovirus is one of the common causative agents of viral gastroenteritis in developed countries. A large outbreak of gastroenteritis occurred among girls' high school students in Cheongju city, Chungbuk province, who had attended a school trip to Cheju island from 19 to 21 May 2003. One hundred and ninety six students were consistent with case definition and attack rate was 54.9%. The epidemic curve was characteristic of a point-source outbreak. The frequency of diarrhea was 1 to 6 times (76.8%) and the duration of diarrhea was within two days (85.1%) in most cases. The most common symptom with diarrhea was abdominal pain followed by headache, tenesmus, febrile sense, chill and vomiting. The following bacterial organisms, Salmonella spp, Shigella spp, Vibrio spp, Staphylococcus aureus, and E coli O157 were examined in 196 stool specimens, but no suspicious organism was detected. In virological examinations, Norovirus was dectected in 3 out of 25 stool specimens from the sick students. Among the 22 stool specimens of the food handlers during the school trip, both bacterial and virological examinations were all negative. Among the 13 environmental specimens, the groundwater of the hotel, where the students had stayed during their school trip, was contaminated with general bacteria and E. Coli. However, we could not detect Norovirus in the groundwater of the hotel. We concluded that Norovirus might be a possible cause of this outbreak, and the water supply of the hotel might be a probable source of this outbreak.
