Norovirus hospitals

Costas, L., Vilella, A., Llupia, A., Bosch, J., Jimenez de Anta, M. T., and Trilla, A. (2007). Outbreak of norovirus gastroenteritis among staff at a hospital in Barcelona, Spain, September 2007. Euro Surveill. 12, E071122.5. 

Leuenberger, S., Widdowson, M. A., Feilchenfeldt, J., Egger, R., and Streuli, R. A. (2007). Norovirus outbreak in a district general hospital - new strain identified. Swiss Med. Wkly. 137, 57-81. 

Ohwaki, K., Nagashima, H., Aoki, M., Aoki, H., and Yano, E. (2009). A foodborne norovirus outbreak at a hospital and an attached long-term care facility. Jpn. J. Infect. Dis. 62, 450-454. 

Schmid, D., Lederer, I., Pichler, A. M., Berghold, C., Schreier, E., and Allerberger, F. (2005b). An outbreak of Norovirus infection affecting an Austrian nursing home and a hospital. Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. 117, 802-808. 

Siebenga, J. J., Beersma, M. F., Vennema, H., van Biezen, P., Hartwig, N. J., and Koopmans, M. (2008). High prevalence of prolonged norovirus shedding and illness among hospitalized patients A model for in vivo molecular evolution. J. Infect. Dis. 198,994—1001. 

Weber, D. J., Rutala, W. A., Miller, M. B., Huslage, K., and Sickbert-Bennett, E. (2010). Role of hospital surfaces in the transmission of emerging health care-associated pathogens Norovirus, Clostridium difficile, and Acinetobacter species. Am. ]. Infect. Control 38, S25-S33. 

Viruses are the most common cause of diarrheal illness in the world, resulting in about 450,000 and 160,000 hospitalizations for adults and children, respectively, and over 4000 deaths.40,41 A number of viruses may cause gastroenteritis, including rotaviruses, noroviruses, astroviruses, enteric adenoviruses, and coronoviruses (Table 73-4). This chapter will focus on rotaviruses. 

Each year in the United States, approximately 76 million food-borne illnesses occur, leading to 325,000 hospitalizations and over 5000 deaths.40 A number of bacterial and viral pathogens that have been discussed previously in this chapter (e.g., Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, E. coli, and noroviruses) can cause food poisoning. Other bacteria that can cause foodborne illness include Staphylococcus aureus, C. perfringens, C. botu-linum, and Bacillus cereus (Table 73-5). Food poisoning should be suspected if at least two individuals present with similar symptoms after the ingestion of a common food in the prior 72 hours. 

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