AN OUTBREAK OF TYPE A VIRAL HEPATITIS AT THE NAVAL TRAINING CENTER, SAN DIEGO: EPIDEMIOLOGIC EVALUATION

In October 1974, a large foodborne outbreak of hepatitis occurred among naval personnel undergoing basic training at the Naval Training Center, San Diego, California. Of the 2781 recruits eating at the implicated dining hall on the day disease transmission occurred, 133 developed clinical or laborat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of epidemiology 1977-02, Vol.105 (2), p.148-155
Main Authors: HOOPER, RICHARD R., JUELS, CHARLES W., ROUTENBERG, JOHN A., HARRISON, WILLIAM O., KILPATRICK, MICHAEL E., KENDRA, STEPHEN J., DIENSTAG, JULES L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antigens, Viral - analysis
California
Disease Outbreaks - epidemiology
Food Contamination
Food Handling
Hepatitis A - epidemiology
Hepatitis A - immunology
Hepatitis A - transmission
hepatitis A virus
Hepatovirus - immunology
Humans
Male
military personnel
Naval Medicine
outbreaks
questionnaires
recruits
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Summary:In October 1974, a large foodborne outbreak of hepatitis occurred among naval personnel undergoing basic training at the Naval Training Center, San Diego, California. Of the 2781 recruits eating at the implicated dining hall on the day disease transmission occurred, 133 developed clinical or laboratory evidence of hepatitis for an attack rate of 47.8/1000. The epidemiologic investigation suggested that hepatitis A virus was the etiologic agent, and this was subsequently confirmed by laboratory examination. The index and source case was a recruit food-handler who experienced prodromal symptoms of hepatitis while preparing salads and fresh fruit 32 days prior to the outbreak. A food preference questionnaire implicated tossed salad and fresh grapefruit as the specific vehicles of transmission.
ISSN:0002-9262
1476-6256
DOI:10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112367