Rhinovirus outbreaks in long-term care facilities, Ontario, Canada

Emerg Infect Dis. 2010 Sep;16(9):1463-5. doi: 10.3201/eid1609.100476.

Abstract

Diagnostic difficulties may have led to underestimation of rhinovirus infections in long-term care facilities. Using surveillance data, we found that rhinovirus caused 59% (174/297) of respiratory outbreaks in these facilities during 6 months in 2009. Disease was sometimes severe. Molecular diagnostic testing can differentiate these outbreaks from other infections such as influenza.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Capsid Proteins / genetics
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Genes, Viral
  • Humans
  • Long-Term Care
  • Ontario / epidemiology
  • Phylogeny
  • Picornaviridae Infections / epidemiology*
  • Picornaviridae Infections / mortality
  • Picornaviridae Infections / virology
  • Residential Facilities
  • Rhinovirus* / classification
  • Rhinovirus* / genetics
  • Rhinovirus* / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Capsid Proteins
  • VP2 protein, Rhinovirus