A Shigellosis Outbreak at a Primary School in Kuanhsi, Hsinchu County

KL Lu

1998 Vol.14 NO.5

Correspondence Author：

Abstract：

On 15 October 1997, a student of a primary school in Kuanhsi Township of Hsinchu County was treated at the Taoyuan Minsheng Hospital for abdominal pain and diarrhea. Laboratory testings later found that he was infected with Shigellosis. On 21 October, the Hospital notified the local health authorities on one hand and sent the strain isolated from the rectal swab of the student to the National Institute of Preventive Medicine, DOH, for confirmation. On 23 October, the strain was nfirmed as Group D Shigella. Staff of the Kuanhsi Township Health Station then visited the school for investigation on 24 October. It was found that since 4 October, several students had taken leave for fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting and headache. The number of sick students reached a peak on 16 and 17 October (21 and 20 students respectively). On 24 and 27 October, the Hsinchu County Health Bureau together with the local health station collected 153 rectal swabs of students and 7 environmental specimens for laboratory testings by the Bacteriology Division of the NIPM. A team of the FETPINIPM, the National Quarantine Service, the Bureau of Communicable Disease Control of the DOH, the Hsinchu County Health Bureau and the Kuanhsi Township Health Station visited the school on 29 October for investigation and to exert measures of control.