Influenza B virus outbreak at a religious residential school for boys in Northern Bangladesh, 2011.
National media reported a febrile illness among dormitory residents of a boys' religious school. We investigated the outbreak to identify cause.



Individuals with fever (>100°F) and cough or sore throat between 1 and 13 August 2011 were influenza-like-illness (ILI) case-patients. We collected histories and specimens from hospitalized case-patients and visited campus to explore environmental context.



All 28 case-patients were dormitory residents including 27 hospitalizations. Accommodation space per resident was <0.8 square metres. Nasal and oropharyngeal swabs from 22 case-patients were positive for influenza B virus using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR).



Overcrowding likely facilitated transmission leading to this dormitory outbreak.
Programme on Emerging Infections (PEI), Infectious Diseases Division (IDD), icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh.|Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Farhana
F
Haque
Programme on Emerging Infections (PEI), Infectious Diseases Division (IDD), icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh.|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Katharine
K
Sturm-Ramirez
Programme on Emerging Infections (PEI), Infectious Diseases Division (IDD), icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Nusrat
N
Homaira
Programme on Emerging Infections (PEI), Infectious Diseases Division (IDD), icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Emily Suzane
ES
Gurley
Programme on Emerging Infections (PEI), Infectious Diseases Division (IDD), icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Md Jahangir
MJ
Hossain
Programme on Emerging Infections (PEI), Infectious Diseases Division (IDD), icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
S M Murshid
SM
Hasan
Programme on Emerging Infections (PEI), Infectious Diseases Division (IDD), icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Sukanta
S
Chowdhury
Programme on Emerging Infections (PEI), Infectious Diseases Division (IDD), icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Shamim
S
Sarkar
Programme on Emerging Infections (PEI), Infectious Diseases Division (IDD), icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Abdul Khaleque Md Dawlat
AK
Khan
Programme on Emerging Infections (PEI), Infectious Diseases Division (IDD), icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Mustafizur
M
Rahman
Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Mahmudur
M
Rahman
Programme on Emerging Infections (PEI), Infectious Diseases Division (IDD), icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh.|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Stephen P
SP
Luby
D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058872:Epidemics; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D012067:Religion; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students
Bangladesh; epidemic; influenza B virus; school dormitory