Investigation and analysis of a cluster event of enterovirus infection in a kindergarten in Hsin-Chu County Hu-Kou Village

Ming-Chu Tai

2008 Vol.24 NO.9

Correspondence Author： Ming-Chu Tai

Abstract：

On Jan. 23 and 25, 2008, 2 suspected cases of enteroviruses infection with severe complications were reported to the Second Branch of the Department of Health Center for Disease Control. During disease surveillance, the 2 cases were found to live in the same area and had a common suspected infection source, a kindergarten which led to further investigation.
This investigation was to understand the cluster event in the kindergarten in order to avoid an outbreak of secondary cases of enteroviruses infection with severe complications in students or their family members.
A total of 29 symptomatic cases (including the first reported cases) were found in the surveillance. A total of 19 viral throat swabs and 11 stool samples were gathered. The results showed that all of the 19 viral throat swabs were negative and among the 11 stool samples, 7 cases were confirmed to be infected by enterovirus 71. These results show that a cluster infection of enterovirus 71 did occur in the kindergarten during the time of surveillance.
The first 2 cases were concluded to have a direct relationship, but each had the infection separately at home. This surveillance showed that the cluster event infection source was the basement; transmission was through student contact which spread to their family members and then back to the school.
As for disease prevention, symptomatic cases were quarantined at home with follow up services done by phone by the Health Bureau. Monitoring continued for 2 weeks after they came back to school. The level of disease prevention was raised to the “community” level to control the disease in order to prevent secondary severe complications from appearing.
Keywords: enterovirus cluster infection, enteroviruses infection with severe complications, herpangina, class suspension measurement