Investigation of an outbreak of acute illness in a school group visiting Sydney, September 2006.
OBJECTIVE
We describe the investigation into an outbreak of acute illness in approximately 40 people attending Darling Harbour in Sydney during a school music camp.


METHODS
We used three methods, including the Public Health Realtime Emergency Department Surveillance System, to obtain information on the food and travel history of the group and symptoms of the cases rapidly.


RESULTS
Forty-five cases of gastroenteritis were identified in people on the bus trip. Most dates of onset of illness were obtained from triage text fields in the NSW Public Health Real Time Emergency Department Surveillance System, and were verified through medical record review and interviews. No causative agent was identified.


CONCLUSIONS
The investigation suggested person-to-person transmission rather than a point source, and demonstrates how the NSW Public Health Real Time Emergency Department Surveillance System can assist with case finding in public health investigations.
Mannes
Trish
T
Sydney South West Public Health Unit, Sydney South West Area Health Service. trish.mannes@gmail.com
Forssman
Bradley
B
Gupta
Leena
L
Ferson
Mark
M
Christopher
Simone
S
McAnulty
Jeremy
J
Musto
Jennie
J
D000208:Acute Disease; D002165:Camping; D002648:Child; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology