Epidemiological investigation of an outbreak of respiratory infection caused by adenovirus type 3 in a primary school

Objective To understand the epidemiology characteristics of an outbreak of adenovirus type 3 infection in a primary school in Tongzhou district, Beijing, and provide evidence for the prevention and control of similar epidemics. Methods The standard questionnaire was used for field survey. The definition of case was established and the cases' epidemiology characteristics were described. Throat swabs of the patients were taken and reverse transcription PCR was conducted for pathogen detection. Results A total of 34 cases were detected during 4-17 November,2015,no severe case or death occurred. The results of throat swab testing indicated that it was an adenovirus type 3 infection outbreak. The major clinical manifestations included fever (100.00%), accompanied by cough (64.71%), headache (32.35%), and pharyngalgia (23.53%). Conclusion The outbreak of the respiratory tract infection in a primary school was caused by adenovirus type 3. The time and space distributions were obvious. The transmission might be mainly through respiratory droplets and close contacts. One of the most important reasons for this outbreak might be the failure to detect the first case in school day. It is suggested to strengthen the morning check in schools and improve classroom ventilation and disinfection in schools.