Objective: Early detection of clinical signs and symptoms of acute gastroenteritis and appropriate preventive measures to stop the spread of infection.
Methods: Epidemiological inspection, clinical examination of hospitalized patients followed by standard bacteriologic and virologic analysis. Norovirus antigen was detected in stool specimen by enzyme immunoassay (EIA).
Results: An epidemic of acute gastroenteritis caused by Norwalk like viruses lasted for two weeks (January 26-February 9, 2007). A total of 39 cases were recorded, including 22 (56.4%) inpatients and 17 (43.6%) healthcare workers with disease symptoms. All patients (n = 22; 100%) were hospitalized at Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiology Ward; 11 (64.7%) healthcare workers were working at Cardiology Ward, 3 (17.6%) at Diagnostic Cardiology Laboratory where patients underwent their diagnostic procedures, and 1 (5.9%) healthcare worker at Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care was patient consultant at Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. Other healthcare workers, 1 (5.9%) from Department of Neurosurgery and Department of Pathology each, were in family contact with two health care workers employed at Cardiology Ward.
Discussion: The Hospital Infection Control Committee was informed about the outbreak of acute gastroenteritis on day 8 of the outbreak. Anti-epidemic measures (according to the source of infection detected and to the mechanisms of transmission) were implemented after epidemiological inspection on day 1 of event recording and continued for two more weeks after the occurrence of the disease clinical symptoms in the last patient involved.
Conclusion: It is necessary to promptly inform the Hospital Infection Control Committee on the epidemic outbreak for effective and timely anti-epidemic measures to stop the spread of acute gastroenteritis caused by Norwalk like viruses.