An outbreak of shigellosis in a child care centre

Authors

  • Joy E Gregory Communicable Diseases Section, Department of Human Services, 17/120 Spencer Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
  • Danie Genobile Communicable Diseases Section, Department of Human Services, Melbourne, Victoria
  • Joanna Gaston Communicable Diseases Section, Department of Human Services, Melbourne, Victoria
  • Graham F Tallis Communicable Diseases Section, Department of Human Services, Melbourne, Victoria
  • Julia M Griffith Microbiological Diagnostic Unit, Public Health Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria
  • Mary Valcanis Microbiological Diagnostic Unit, Public Health Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria
  • Diane Lightfoot Microbiological Diagnostic Unit, Public Health Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria
  • John A Marshall Electron Microscopy/Gastroenteritis Laboratory, Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, North Melbourne, Victoria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2004.28.20

Keywords:

disease outbreak, childcare, shigellosis, shigella sonnei

Abstract

Outbreaks of shigellosis in child care are not commonly reported in Australia, however Shigella bacteria can easily spread in these settings. We report an outbreak of shigellosis in a child care centre and discuss the control measures implemented. This investigation identifi ed 20 confirmed cases of Shigella sonnei biotype g and a further 47 probable cases in children and staff who attended a child care centre, and their household contacts. The investigation highlighted the importance of stringent control measures and protocols for dealing with outbreaks of Shigella and other enteric infections in the child care setting, and the importance of prompt notification by both doctors and child care centres, of suspected outbreaks. Commun Dis Intell 2004;28:225–229.

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References

Chin J, editor. Control of Communicable Diseases Manual 17th edition. Washington: American Public Health Association, 2000.

Disease Control Victoria. Guidelines for the Investigation of Gastrointestinal Illness. Melbourne: Department of Human Services; 1998.

Du Pont H. Shigella species (bacillary dysentery). In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, editors. Principles and Practices of Infectious Diseases. 3rd edition. New York: Churchill Livingstone: 1990.

Hoffman RE, Shillam PJ. The use of hygiene, cohorting and antimicrobial therapy to control an outbreak of shigellosis. Am J Dis Child 1990;144:219-221.

National Health and Medical Research Council. Staying Healthy in Child Care. 2nd edition. Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services: 1997.

Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. Therapeutic Guidelines, Antibiotic. 12th edition. North Melbourne, Australia, 2003. p. 57.

Tauxe RV, Johnson KE, Boase JC, Helgerson SD, Blake PA. Control of day care shigellosis: a trial of convalescent day care in isolation. Am J Public Health 1986;76:627-630.

Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. Therapeutic Guidelines, Antibiotic. 11th edition. North Melbourne, Australia, 2000.

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Published

30/06/04

How to Cite

Gregory, Joy E, Danie Genobile, Joanna Gaston, Graham F Tallis, Julia M Griffith, Mary Valcanis, Diane Lightfoot, and John A Marshall. 2004. “An Outbreak of Shigellosis in a Child Care Centre”. Communicable Diseases Intelligence 28 (June):225-29. https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2004.28.20.

Issue

Vol. 28 (2004)

Section

Original article

Categories

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Copyright (c) 2004 Communicable Diseases Intelligence

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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