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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, September 2008, p. 3112-3115, Vol. 46, No. 9
0095-1137/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.00400-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Contamination of the Hospital Environment with Gastroenteric Viruses: Comparison of Two Pediatric Wards over a Winter Season{triangledown}

Chris I. Gallimore,1* Clive Taylor,2 Andrew R. Gennery,3 Andrew J. Cant,3 Angela Galloway,4 Jacqueline Xerry,1 Juliet Adigwe,1 and Jim J. Gray1

Enteric Virus Unit, Virus Reference Department, Centre for Infections, Health Protection Agency, Colindale, London, United Kingdom,1 Newcastle Laboratory, Health Protection Agency North East, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle, United Kingdom,2 Primary Immunodeficiency Unit, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle, United Kingdom,3 Department of Microbiology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, United Kingdom4

Received 28 February 2008/ Returned for modification 27 April 2008/ Accepted 1 July 2008

The aims of this study were to examine the extent of gastroenteric virus contamination in a pediatric primary immunodeficiency (PPI) ward and a general pediatric ward over a winter season and to determine whether changes to hospital infection control interventions would have an impact on environmental contamination levels within pediatric units. Environmental swabs were collected weekly from 11 sites in both wards from 15 December 2005 to 3 March 2006 and examined for the presence of norovirus (NoV), astrovirus, and rotavirus (RV) by reverse transcriptase PCR. Viruses were detected in 17% and 19% of swabs from both wards. Virus contamination for NoV and RV decreased from 20% to 6% and 15% to 10% of swabs, respectively, in the PPI ward from the 2004 study by Gallimore et al. (C. I. Gallimore, C. Taylor, A. R. Gennery, A. J. Cant, A. Galloway, M. Iturriza-Gomara, and J. J. Gray, J. Clin. Microbiol. 44:395-399, 2006). Overall, changes to cleaning protocols were deemed to have reduced the level of environmental contamination with gastroenteric viruses, but contamination still occurred due to a breakdown in infection control procedures indicated by contamination in areas frequented by parents but used only occasionally by staff.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Enteric Virus Unit, Virus Reference Department, Centre for Infections, Health Protection Agency, Colindale, London NW9 5HT, United Kingdom. Phone: 44-208-327-7795. Fax: 44-208-205-8195. E-mail: christopher.gallimore{at}hpa.org.uk

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 9 July 2008.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, September 2008, p. 3112-3115, Vol. 46, No. 9
0095-1137/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.00400-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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