Rhinovirus outbreaks in long-term care facilities, Ontario, Canada.
Diagnostic difficulties may have led to underestimation of rhinovirus infections in long-term care facilities. Using surveillance data, we found that rhinovirus caused 59% (174/297) of respiratory outbreaks in these facilities during 6 months in 2009. Disease was sometimes severe. Molecular diagnostic testing can differentiate these outbreaks from other infections such as influenza.
Longtin
Jean
J
Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. jean.longtin@chuq.qc.ca
Marchand-Austin
Alex
A
Winter
Anne Luise
AL
Patel
Samir
S
Eshaghi
Alireza
A
Jamieson
Frances
F
Low
Donald E
DE
Gubbay
Jonathan B
JB
D000368:Aged; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology; D012112:Residential Facilities; D012229:Rhinovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
D036022:Capsid Proteins; C442544:VP2 protein, Rhinovirus