[Outbreak of human calicivirus infection in a hospital department].
Human caliciviruses (HuCV)--such as Norwalk-like and Sapporo-like viruses--members of the family Caliciviridae, are a major cause of acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis in persons of all ages worldwide. They are important pathogens in food- and waterborne diseases in which the transmission can often be traced to fecally contaminated water or foods, and spread by person-to-person contact, vomitus or airborne droplets. HuCV-associated outbreaks involving large numbers of people usually occur in settings where people congregate. Between May 9 and 24, 2000, an outbreak of acute, mild, nonbacterial gastroenteritis occurred in woman, chronic psychiatric ward of a county hospital where 35 of 143 persons (24.5%) were registered with characteristic symptoms. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was used for virus detection. HuCV was found in stool samples in 12 of 17 (70.6%) ill persons. This is the first HuCV-associated hospital outbreak of gastroenteritis in Hungary where HuCV was successfully detected by molecular method and its etiologic role was also supported by epidemiologic investigation.
Reuter
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Allami Népegészségügyi és Tisztiorvosi Szolgálat Baranya Megyei Intézete, Pécs, Regionális Virológiai Laboratórium.
Kucsera
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S
Somogyi
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Lencsés
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Szúcs
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G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002139:Caliciviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D006766:Hospitals, County / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D004279:DNA, Viral