A Cluster Diarrhea Outbreak Caused by Norovirus Infection at the Psychiatric Ward of a Certain Hospital in Taichung County

Shu-Ling Pan

2006 Vol.22 NO.12

Correspondence Author：

Abstract：

Norovirus group outbreak has become a significant problem for nosocomial infection control in recent years. Statistically, somewhere between 35% and 63% of diarrhea group outbreaks in the hospital turn out to be caused by this kind of virus. It has been reported that hospital units most prone to norovirus cluster infections are psychiatric wards, pediatric wards, plastic surgery wards, geriatric wards, and geriatric rehabilitation centers. Although diarrheic cases caused by norovirus infection are usually self-limited and bear a rather short disease course, this virus is extremely contagious and can make a person sick rapidly with the invasion of as few as 1-10 virus particles. Therefore, when a hospital or an institution is hit by a group infection of this virus, it is very likely to have a tremendous impact on the patient care routine and financial situation of the institution [1, 2].