Routine monitoring of adenovirus and norovirus within the health care environment

This study investigated the presence of adenovirus and norovirus on ward surfaces using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to assist in the development of evidence-based infection control policy. Screening was carried out weekly for 6 months in the common areas of 2 pediatric wards. Additiona...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of infection control 2014-11, Vol.42 (11), p.1229-1232
Main Authors: Pankhurst, Louise, PhD, Cloutman-Green, Elaine, MRes, Canales, Melisa, PhD, D'Arcy, Nikki, PhD, Hartley, John C., FRCPath
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adenovirus
Adenoviruses, Human - isolation & purification
Biological and medical sciences
Disease control
Disease Transmission, Infectious - prevention & control
Environmental Microbiology
Epidemiological Monitoring
Epidemiology. Vaccinations
Evidence-based medicine
General aspects
Health care environment
Health care–associated infection
Health Facilities
Hematology and oncology
Human infectious diseases. Experimental studies and models
Humans
Infection Control
Infection Control - methods
Infectious Disease
Infectious diseases
Mass Screening - methods
Medical sciences
Norovirus
Norovirus - isolation & purification
Nosocomial infections
Pediatrics
Polymerase chain reaction
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Viruses
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Summary:This study investigated the presence of adenovirus and norovirus on ward surfaces using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to assist in the development of evidence-based infection control policy. Screening was carried out weekly for 6 months in the common areas of 2 pediatric wards. Additionally, a one-off screening was undertaken for adenovirus and norovirus on a day unit and for adenovirus only in patient cubicles while occupied. Over the 6-month screening of common areas, 2.4% of samples were positive for adenovirus or norovirus. In rooms occupied with adenovirus-infected children, all cubicle screening sites and almost all swabs were contaminated with adenovirus. In the day unit, 13% of samples were positive. Cleaning and environmental interaction strategies must therefore be designed to control nosocomial transmission of viruses outside of outbreak scenarios.
ISSN:0196-6553
1527-3296
DOI:10.1016/j.ajic.2014.07.028