Surveillance of viral gastroenteritis in Japan: pediatric cases and outbreak incidents.
Surveillance results from pediatric cases and outbreaks of viral gastroenteritis in Japan are presented. In winter, both small round structured virus (SRSV, or Norwalk-like viruses) and rotavirus were detected from infants with gastroenteritis; however, in recent years, the prevailing time of SRSV infection has preceded that of rotavirus infection. Most nonbacterial gastroenteritis outbreaks were related to SRSV infection, and >60% of the outbreaks were caused by contaminated food. In small-sized outbreaks, raw oysters were the primary source of transmission. In large-sized outbreaks, school lunches and catered meals that were served at schools, banquet halls, and hospitals were most often implicated in the transmission of foodborne gastroenteritis.
Inouye
S
S
Infectious Disease Surveillance Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan. sinouye@nih.go.jp.
Yamashita
K
K
Yamadera
S
S
Yoshikawa
M
M
Kato
N
N
Okabe
N
N
D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D009663:Norwalk virus