ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE To provide a practical action plan which can prevent and control the similar occurrence through studying the epidemiological characteristics of a norovirus-induced diarrhea outbreak in the wards of our hospital. METHODS To obtain the information about the epidemic situation of norovirus involving 15 patients in the two wards of our hospital, during the period from Nov 12 to 15, 2006. RESULTS It was a norovirus gastroenteritis outbreak in the 8 cases among 15 patients and there were other 7 sporadic cases. The consummate monitoring system on nosocomial infection could gain the information of disease, and be very helpful to control its transmission. Beijing Municipal Center for Quality Control and Improvement of the Management of Nosocomial Infection was known the information and shared it among different kinds of hospitals. Thus an unnecessary panic was avoided in Beijing at that time. CONCLUSIONS The social factor, senile situation and immunocompromise are the causes of this norovirus outbreak. The effective control measures and the information exchange in time could prevent the spread of infection. It is shown that the nosocomial infection monitoring network could catch the epidemic tendency of nosocomial infection sensitively, so to strengthen the monitoring network is the key.