The role of household transmission in an outbreak of viral gastroenteritis in a primary school in Liverpool, England

• Published in: Public health (London) Vol. 127; no. 9; pp. 882 - 884
• Main Authors: Conrad, D, Dee, K, Keenan, A, Vivancos, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2013
• Subjects: Caliciviridae Infections - epidemiology; Caliciviridae Infections - transmission; Child; Child, Preschool; Contact Tracing; Disease Outbreaks - prevention & control; England; England - epidemiology; Family Characteristics; Family Health; Foodborne Diseases; Gastroenteritis; Gastroenteritis - epidemiology; Gastroenteritis - virology; Households; Humans; Infection; Infectious Disease; Internal Medicine; Multivariate Analysis; Norovirus; Outbreaks; Risk Factors; Schools - organization & administration; England
• ISSN: 0033-3506; 1476-5616
• DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2013.05.011

In England, the inclusion of a national indicator on rates of school pupil absence (including sickness absence) in the Government's 2013-2016 Public Health Outcomes Framework, has made the control of common infections in schools a pertinent issue for Local Authorities. Viral gastroenteritis (GI) is a common cause of illness which can spread quickly through schools due to the high concentration of people in an enclosed environment and the large degree of interpersonal contact. The most commonly identified causes of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks in developed countries are members of the genus Norovirus. Norovirus can affect people of all ages, with illness typified by 12-60 h of vomiting and/or diarrhoea. It is highly infectious, can spread through multiple routes of transmission and is difficult to control. Foodborne outbreaks are frequently masked by person-to-person transmission. Contamination of school lunches, recreational water fountains and computer equipment; airborne transport of the virus, and inadequate attempts at infection control by school personnel, have all been implicated in the transmission of norovirus in school outbreaks. Greater understanding of the factors that affect norovirus transmission is important; to better control outbreaks in school settings. [Copyright Elsevier B.V.]