[Shigella sonnei outbreak in a school in Northern Spain]

Abstract

In October 2012, an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis caused by Shigella sonnei was detected in a nursery and primary school in the north of Spain affecting 112 people: 63.7% were pupils and teachers and 35.7% their co-habitants. The source was a sick child who had travelled to an endemic country, and the key trigger factor was inadequate hygiene in one of the toilets of the school. The enforcement of strict hygiene measures was essential for controlling the outbreak.

Keywords: Brote; Control measures; Epidemiological survey; Investigación epidemiológica; Medidas de control; Outbreak; Shigella.