Outbreaks of epidemic kerato-conjunctivitis in two hospital wards.

The authors analyzed two hospital outbreaks of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC), one at the Department of Ophthalmology (30 cases) and another one at the Department of Premature Newborns (22 cases). In both outbreaks, EKC was diagnosed in inpatients (16 and 6 respectively), outpatients (5 and 3 respectively), healthcare workers (HCWs) (3 and 5 respectively), and relatives of EKC patients (6 and 8 respectively). Implemented infection control measures included isolation precautions, improved disinfection and hand-washing of both hospital and outpatient department personnel. Shortly after implementation of control measures the rate of infection transmission started to decrease significantly.