title: [Epidemiologic investigation on an outbreak of shigellosis in Seongju-gun, Korea, 2003].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An outbreak of shigellosis occurred among students and staff of S primary and middle school, Seongju-gun, in 2003. This investigation was carried out to institute an effective counterplan, and study the infection source and transmission of the shigellosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors conducted a questionnaire survey among 235 students and staff from S preschool, primary and middle school relating to the ingestion of school lunch and the manifestation of symptoms. Also, the author investigated the drinking water, feeding facility and reconstructed cooking process of the food presumed to be the cause of the shigellosis. The diarrhea cases were defined as confirmed cases and those cases who had had diarrhea more than one time, accompanied with symptoms such as fever, vomiting and tenesmus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From rectal swabs 20 people, between June 28 and July 4, 2003, were confirmed with shigellosis. The diarrhea attack rate was 40.0%. Those who had ingested tomatoes and cubed radish kimchi had significantly higher diarrhea attack rates (p<0.05), with the relative risk of tomatoes being 2.69 (95% CI: 0.98-7.42). The major cause of shigellosis was presumed to be from contaminated tomatoes due to cooking with rubber gloves containing holes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cooks in charge of school lunches must make doubly sure to not only attend to their sanitation, but also to manage the table wear and items used in providing school lunches. The health care authority should introduce higher-leveled criteria for health care among cooks, so that they cannot cook when the have a case of any infectious disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dongguk University.
authors.forename: Young-Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Hyun-Sul
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Kwan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang-Hyuk
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Bog-Soon
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004405:Dysentery, Bacillary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012574:Schools; D012764:Shigella sonnei