Public health response to a norovirus viral gastroenteritis outbreak in early childhood learning centres in Victoria, Australia, 2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2022.46.64Keywords:
norovirus, alcohol-based hand sanitiser, soap and water handwashing, mass media, public health, GII.P16/GII.2Abstract
We report on the public health response to an outbreak of infectious viral gastroenteritis in early childhood learning centres (ECLC) in Victoria, Australia, during the first half of 2021. Viral gastroenteritis is a common cause of childhood diarrhoea,and is frequently spread through high-risk environments such as ECLC. Laboratory testing identified an international epidemic strain of norovirus, GII.P16/GII.2, which had not previously caused epidemic norovirus outbreaks in Victoria, as the predominant infectious agent in this outbreak. Similar outbreaks of norovirus had been observed in other Australian jurisdictions recently prior to this outbreak.
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