title: Investigation of an outbreak of acute illness in a school group visiting Sydney, September 2006.
abstract: 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.
authors: Sydney South West Public Health Unit, Sydney South West Area Health Service. trish.mannes@gmail.com
authors: Trish
authors: T
authors: Mannes
authors: Bradley
authors: B
authors: Forssman
authors: Leena
authors: L
authors: Gupta
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Ferson
authors: Simone
authors: S
authors: Christopher
authors: Jeremy
authors: J
authors: McAnulty
authors: Jennie
authors: J
authors: Musto
mesh_terms: 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