An outbreak of echovirus 11 in a children's home

• Published in: Epidemiology and infection 2001-06, Vol.126 (3), p.441-444
• Main Authors: SOMEKH, E., SHOHAT, T., HANDSHER, R., SEROUR, F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aseptic meningitis; Asymptomatic; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the digestive system and abdomen; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Child, Preschool; Children; Disease outbreaks; Disease Outbreaks - statistics & numerical data; Echovirus infections; Echovirus Infections - cerebrospinal fluid; Echovirus Infections - diagnosis; Echovirus Infections - epidemiology; Echovirus Infections - virology; Employees; Enterovirus B, Human - classification; Epidemics; Epidemiology; Feces - virology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hospitalization; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Human bacterial diseases; Human echovirus 11; Human enterovirus B; Humans; Infant; Infants; Infection Control; Infections; Infectious diseases; Israel - epidemiology; Male; Males; Medical sciences; Meningitis; Meningitis, Aseptic - cerebrospinal fluid; Meningitis, Aseptic - diagnosis; Meningitis, Aseptic - epidemiology; Meningitis, Aseptic - virology; Microbiology; Orphanages; Orphanages - statistics & numerical data; Patients; Pediatrics; Population Surveillance; Risk Factors; Serology; Serotyping; Specimens; Time Factors; Viruses
• ISSN: 0950-2688; 1469-4409
• DOI: 10.1017/S0950268801005404

An outbreak of echovirus 11 infection was observed in a children's home that housed 16 children. Nine children younger than 1 year shared a large room on the first floor, which contained a large basin. Three of them presented with aseptic meningitis with CSF and stool samples positive for echovirus 11. The other six infants who shared the room were asymptomatic but their stools were positive for echovirus 11. Seven infants aged 1–2 years stayed on the second floor and were asymptomatic. One of them had positive stool culture for echovirus 11. No virus was isolated from stool samples taken from the 26 staff members. However, serology was suggestive for recent echovirus 11 infection in seven asymptomatic staff members. All seven worked either exclusively on the first floor or alternately on both floors. Our survey demonstrated that echovirus 11 may spread very efficiently in children's homes. The rate of meningitis in the infected infants was 30% while all the recently infected adults were asymptomatic.