Epidemic Keratoconjunctivitis: Report of an Outbreak in an Ophthalmology Practice and Recommendations for Prevention

In Fall 1981, an outbreak of acute infectious conjunctivitis with keratitis (EKC) occurred in patients who had visited a private ophthalmology clinic just prior to onset of illness. Among an estimated 2,200 patient visits to the office from August 10 to October 15, 1981 for problems unrelated to inf...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Infection control : IC 1984-08, Vol.5 (8), p.390-394
Main Authors: Buehler, James W., Finton, Robert J., Goodman, Richard A., Choi, Keewhan, Hierholzer, John C., Sikes, R. Keith, Elsea, William R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adenoviridae Infections - epidemiology
Adenovirus Infections, Human - epidemiology
Adenovirus Infections, Human - transmission
Adenoviruses
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Child
Child, Preschool
Conjunctivitis
Disease Outbreaks - epidemiology
Disease transmission
Epidemics
Epidemiology
Female
Georgia
Hand Disinfection
Humans
Infections
Keratoconjunctivitis
Keratoconjunctivitis - epidemiology
Keratoconjunctivitis - transmission
Male
Middle Aged
Nursing
Office Visits
Ophthalmology
Physicians
Pressure measurement
Risk
Tonometry, Ocular - instrumentation
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Summary:In Fall 1981, an outbreak of acute infectious conjunctivitis with keratitis (EKC) occurred in patients who had visited a private ophthalmology clinic just prior to onset of illness. Among an estimated 2,200 patient visits to the office from August 10 to October 15, 1981 for problems unrelated to infectious conjunctivitis, 39 (1.8%) persons subsequently developed EKC. The median incubation period was 6.5 days (range, 1 to 14 days). A case-control study was done to identify risk factors associated with contracting EKC; patients with EKC were more likely than control patients to have been examined by one or the other of two of the four ophthalmologists at the clinic and to have undergone procedures such as tonometry or foreign body removal. Adenovirus was isolated from conjunctival swabs from four of five persons with conjunctivitis; three were type 8 and one was type 7. Recognition of the problem and improved handwashing practices were associated with terminating the outbreak. This outbreak illustrates the potential for transmission of adenovirus infection during the provision of eye care. Infection control practitioners should be familiar with measures for the prevention of such infections among ophthalmology patients.
ISSN:0195-9417
2327-9451
DOI:10.1017/s0195941700062238