A new study shows that acute gastroenteritis (AGE) illness spread rapidly in schools and child care centers, making them a primary setting for a disease outbreak.
AGE outbreaks could cause absences among students, disrupt institutions, and may lead to temporary facility closures. A better understanding of this kind of outbreak is important to develop effective prevention and control measures.
Acute Gastroenteritis (AGE) Person-to-Person Transmission in Schools, Child Care Centers; How Can This Be Prevented?
Acute Gastroenteritis (AGE) Outbreaks
In the study titled "Childcare and School Acute Gastroenteritis Outbreaks: 2009-2020" published in Pediatrics, researchers analyzed data of AGE outbreaks in kindergarten to grade 12 schools and childcare facilities in the US as reported by the National Outbreak Reporting System from 2009 to 2019 and compared it to 2020 data.
They found that from 2009 to 2019, there were 2,623 schools, 1,972 child care, and 38 school and child care AGE outbreaks, Medical Xpress reported. Moreso, they identified that outbreaks are larger at schools than childcare facilities with a median of 29 versus 10 cases, but it is longer at the latter than the former with a median of 15 versus nine days.
Most AGE outbreaks reported were of the norovirus and Shigella spp., wherein norovirus leads in schools and both outbreaks are dominant in the two settings.
Researchers noted that most or 85.7% of the outbreaks were spread via person-to-person transmission given that the number of children and shared spaces in one location makes the pathogen spread quickly. About 123 outbreaks were reported in 2020 of which 85% were reported in the first quarter.
They concluded that schools and childcare facilities are the prime setting for AGE pathogens transmission, specifically norovirus and Shigella spp. Therefore, outbreak prevention and control in these settings should be the focus of programs intended to curb AGE cases among children in the US.
Preventing Gastroenteritis Outbreaks
Gastroenteritis is an intestinal infection with symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps, nausea, and sometimes fever. According to WebMD, patients may feel their stomachs and intestines are irritated and inflamed. It is mainly caused by either viral or bacterial infection.
There are many ways for gastroenteritis to spread, such as contact with an infected person, consuming contaminated food or water, unwashed hands after going to the toilet or handling dirty diapers. Rotavirus and norovirus are the main types of viruses that cause gastroenteritis among infants and young children, while the bacteria shigella is often passed around in childcare centers.
The best way to prevent the spread of intestinal infections per the Mayo Clinic is to follow the precautions below:
- Get the child vaccinated
- Wash hands regularly and thoroughly
- Avoid sharing items at home
- Prepare food safely
- Avoid going near an infected person
- Disinfect hard surfaces
- Never touch laundry that may have been exposed to the virus or bacteria
- Ensure that the child care center has separate rooms for changing diapers and preparing or serving food
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