2010 Volume 25 Issue 1 Pages 1-7
The infection control team (ICT) investigated the healthcare-associated outbreak of acute gastroenteritis due to norovirus that occurred in our hospital from February 1, 2009. Infection precautions (standard precautions and contact precautions) were inadequate to prevent this outbreak and several healthcare staff seemed to be inadequately sterilized against norovirus before the detection of this outbreak. A case-control study was conducted among patients in the A ward of the hospital to determine the risk factors. The study revealed statistical significance regarding wheelchair-dedicated bathroom usage (multivariable logistic regression analyses: OR 5.302, 95% CI 1.376-20.433, p=0.015). The usage of wheelchairs was suggested to be associated with norovirus infections. We concluded that staff should adhere to infection precautions when they deal with patients, dispose of waste, and fully sterilize the contaminated environment vigorously. We recommended that the hospital should separate infected patients from uninfected patients, particularly in terms of the usage of bathrooms and wheelchairs, and sterilize bathrooms and wheelchairs after every use by patients.
