Back to Search
Start Over
An outbreak of viral meningitis associated with a public swimming pond.
- Source :
-
Epidemiology and infection [Epidemiol Infect] 2005 Apr; Vol. 133 (2), pp. 291-8. - Publication Year :
- 2005
-
Abstract
- From July to October 2001, 215 cases of aseptic meningitis occurred among the inhabitants of the German city of Kassel and neighbouring counties. A matched case-control study identified bathing in a public, nature-like pond during the beginning of the outbreak as a risk factor for disease [matched odds ratio (mOR) 44.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.9-515.6]. Among bathers, patients with meningitis spent more time in the water (mOR 18.8, 95% CI 2.0-174.1) and swallowed water more frequently (mOR = 7.3, 95% CI 0.7-81.8). Of 30 cerebrospinal fluid samples tested, echovirus 30 was cultured from 16, and echovirus 13 from seven. An echovirus 30 sequence obtained from one pond water sample showed a 99% nucleotide and 100% amino-acid homology with patient isolates. This outbreak demonstrates the potential of nature-like swimming ponds to cause widespread community infection with substantial public health impact.
- Subjects :
- Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Case-Control Studies
Cerebrospinal Fluid virology
Child
Child, Preschool
Enterovirus B, Human isolation & purification
Environment
Female
Germany
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Odds Ratio
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Public Health
Risk Factors
Water Supply
Disease Outbreaks
Echovirus Infections epidemiology
Echovirus Infections transmission
Meningitis, Viral epidemiology
Meningitis, Viral transmission
Swimming Pools
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0950-2688
- Volume :
- 133
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Epidemiology and infection
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 15816154
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1017/s0950268804003437