Bianca L. Tristan, PhD Student

Walden University

PUBH 8165-Environmental Health

Instructor: Dr. Howard Rubin

Summer, 2010

Public Health Department Staff Presentation Epidemiology of Viral

Gastroenteritis in Adults

• High morbidity & Mortality

• Affects 76 million yearly

• 325,000 hospitalizations

• 5,000 deaths

• $6 billion economic burden

Introduction to Foodborne Illnesses

• High prevalence globally

• 600,000 – 800,000 deaths/yearly

• 21 million from Norovirus in U.S.

• 50% of all foodborne illness

Viral GastroenteritisRotavirus and Norovirus

• Four important viral agents

• Norovirus

• Rotavirus

• Enteric Adenovirus

• Astrovirus

Etiology

• Two identifiable patterns

– Endemic

– Epidemic

Epidemiology Patterns

• Endemic• Rotavirus Group A

• Age 4-24 month old

• Severe diarrhea

• Dehydration

Epidemiology Patterns

• Transmitted fecal-oral route

• Person - to - Person

• Contaminated food & water

• Contaminated commercial ice

Transmission of Rotavirus

• Vomiting

• Watery diarrhea

• Low grade fever

• Abdominal pain

Clinical Presentation

Nausea

Vomiting

Abdominal cramps

Fever

Headache

Clinical Presentation of the Norovirus

• Presentation

• Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT – PCR)

• Stool specimens within 48 to 72 hours

• Direct and immune electron microscopy

Diagnosis

• Frequent hand washing

• Vaccination of infants

• Adequate garbage and refuse disposal

• Effective insect and rodent control

Prevention

• National Outbreak reporting system (NORS)

• States report directly to the CDC

• To the National Calicivirus Laboratory

• Gastroenteritis & Respiratory Virus Laboratory Branch, Division for Immunization & Respiratory Disease

Surveillance

• National Outbreak Reporting System• Calicinet – PulseNet Model-Public Health

• Laboratories

– Foodborne Gastroenteritis

– Waterborne Gastroenteritis

– Person – to – Person transmission

Surveillance

• Ten rules for safe food preparation & consumption

• Follow Universal Precautions

• Keep a free environment of rodents

• Control insects and cockroaches

Education

• Pathogens of Gastroenteritis

• Rotavirus/Norovirus

• Manifestations

• Prevention

conclusion

• Evaluation

• Severity of Illnesses

• Exclusion

Conclusion

• Resources

• Recommendations

• Laboratory tests may include

Conclusion

• California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowship (2010) Foodborne Illnesses: 76 million cases annually. USC, Reporting on Health, Los Angeles, CA Retrieved from http://www.reportingonhealth.org/resources/topics/foodborne-illness

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Technical Factsheet, (2010) Norovirus: Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease; Division of Viral Disease, Atlanta, GA. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/gastro/norovirus-factsheet.htm

References:

• Blacklow, (2008) Epidemiology of viral gastroenteritis in adults, UpToDate Retrieved from http://www.uptodate.com/online/content/topic.do?

• Matson, D. O. (2008) Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, clinical presentation and diagnosis of viral gastroenteritis in Children, UpToDate Retrieved from http://www.uptodate.com/online/content/topic.do?

References:

• Moeller, D. W. (2005) Environmental Health. (3rd Ed.) Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press

• World Who Organization, Fact sheet (2009) Diarrhoeal disease. Media Centre Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs330/

• en/index.html

References

• WHO (2009) Global use of Rotavirus Vaccine Recommended. Media Centre Retrieved From http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/200rotavirus_vaccine_2

References: