Influenza B virus outbreak at a religious residential school for boys in Northern Bangladesh, 2011

• Published in: Influenza and other respiratory viruses 2017-03, Vol.11 (2), p.165-169
• Main Authors: Haque, Farhana, Sturm‐Ramirez, Katharine, Homaira, Nusrat, Gurley, Emily Suzane, Hossain, Md Jahangir, Hasan, S. M. Murshid, Chowdhury, Sukanta, Sarkar, Shamim, Khan, Abdul Khaleque Md Dawlat, Rahman, Mustafizur, Rahman, Mahmudur, Luby, Stephen P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bangladesh; Bangladesh - epidemiology; Cough; Disease Outbreaks - statistics & numerical data; Disease transmission; Dormitories; epidemic; Epidemics; Epidemiology; Fever; Hospitalization; Humans; Influenza; Influenza B; influenza B virus; Influenza B virus - isolation & purification; Influenza, Human - diagnosis; Influenza, Human - epidemiology; Influenza, Human - virology; Male; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Outbreaks; Overcrowding; Patients; Pharyngitis; Pharynx; Polymerase chain reaction; Religion; Religious aspects; Reverse transcription; school dormitory; Schools; Short; Students; Viruses
• ISSN: 1750-2640; 1750-2659
• DOI: 10.1111/irv.12430

Background National media reported a febrile illness among dormitory residents of a boys' religious school. We investigated the outbreak to identify cause. Methods Individuals with fever (>100°F) and cough or sore throat between 1 and 13 August 2011 were influenza‐like‐illness (ILI) case‐patients. We collected histories and specimens from hospitalized case‐patients and visited campus to explore environmental context. Results All 28 case‐patients were dormitory residents including 27 hospitalizations. Accommodation space per resident was