OBJECTIVE: To investigate the etiology of outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in children attending childcare centers (CCCs) in North Carolina between October 2005 and March 2007. STUDY DESIGN: In this prospective study of outbreaks of AGE in CCCs, stool specimens from symptomatic children and environmental surface swabs were tested for adenovirus group F, astrovirus, norovirus (NoV), rotavirus group A, and sapovirus using real-time and conventional reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays, and viruses were genotyped by sequencing. RESULTS: A total of 29 AGE outbreaks were evaluated, of which 13 (45%) were caused by a single virus, including rotavirus group A (17%), NoV (10%), astrovirus (10%), and sapovirus (7%). Multiple viruses were detected in 3 outbreaks (10%). Environmental swabs from 13 of 22 outbreaks (59%) tested positive for at least 1 virus and confirmed the findings of the same virus in the fecal specimens for 10 of the outbreaks (45%). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that viruses are major causes of AGE outbreak in CCCs. Our finding of widespread environmental contamination during such outbreaks suggests the need to study the effectiveness of current surface disinfectants against multiple gastroenteritis viruses in CCCs.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the etiology of outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in children attending childcare centers (CCCs) in North Carolina between October 2005 and March 2007. STUDY DESIGN: In this prospective study of outbreaks of AGE in CCCs, stool specimens from symptomatic children and environmental surface swabs were tested for adenovirus group F, astrovirus, norovirus (NoV), rotavirus group A, and sapovirus using real-time and conventional reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays, and viruses were genotyped by sequencing. RESULTS: A total of 29 AGE outbreaks were evaluated, of which 13 (45%) were caused by a single virus, including rotavirus group A (17%), NoV (10%), astrovirus (10%), and sapovirus (7%). Multiple viruses were detected in 3 outbreaks (10%). Environmental swabs from 13 of 22 outbreaks (59%) tested positive for at least 1 virus and confirmed the findings of the same virus in the fecal specimens for 10 of the outbreaks (45%). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that viruses are major causes of AGE outbreak in CCCs. Our finding of widespread environmental contamination during such outbreaks suggests the need to study the effectiveness of current surface disinfectants against multiple gastroenteritis viruses in CCCs.
Authors: Sylvain Skraber; Jérémie Langlet; Jacques R Kremer; Joël Mossong; Sébastien De Landtsheer; Jos Even; Claude P Muller; Lucien Hoffmann; Henry-Michel Cauchie Journal: Appl Environ Microbiol Date: 2011-06-24 Impact factor: 4.792
Authors: Timothy R Julian; Francisco J Tamayo; James O Leckie; Alexandria B Boehm Journal: Appl Environ Microbiol Date: 2011-08-05 Impact factor: 4.792
Authors: Joseph M Makaya; Jérôme Kaplon; Céline Fremy; Nicolas Barro; Serge Aho; Pierre Pothier; Gaël Belliot; Alfred S Traoré Journal: Food Environ Virol Date: 2014-11-19 Impact factor: 2.778
Authors: Stacy R Finkbeiner; Yan Li; Susan Ruone; Christina Conrardy; Nicole Gregoricus; Denise Toney; Herbert W Virgin; Larry J Anderson; Jan Vinjé; David Wang; Suxiang Tong Journal: J Virol Date: 2009-08-12 Impact factor: 5.103