title: Norovirus outbreak management: how much cohorting is necessary?
abstract: For the control of norovirus outbreaks, it is widely recommended that exposed but asymptomatic patients should be cohorted separately from unexposed patients and from symptomatic patients. The frequency of subsequent symptomatic norovirus infection in contact patients has not been investigated systematically. We retrospectively investigated the development of typical norovirus symptoms in contact patients during seven norovirus outbreaks affecting 57 patients between November 2014 and May 2015. Only one of 14 contact patients developed typical norovirus symptoms, calling into question current recommendations to isolate contact patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hygiene, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany. Electronic address: Stefanie.Korte@ukmuenster.de.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Korte
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology - Clinical Virology, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pettke
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hygiene, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kossow
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hygiene, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mellmann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hygiene, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Willems
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hygiene, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kipp
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D029322:Norovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010356:Patient Isolation; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Cohorting; Norovirus infection; Outbreak management