Two cases of group A rotavirus outbreak among adults

: Two cases of group infections with the group A rotavirus (ARV) occurred among adult residents at welfare facilities. Case 1 occurred at a care facility for the elderly between March and April of 2000, where 14 patients aged 68 to 93 (average: 85) of 93 residents developed cardinal symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting and fever. ARV was found in 7 stool samples and their G-serotype was G2. Case 2 occurred at a facility for the disabled in April 2006, where 15 patients aged 28 to 64 (average: 48) of 51 residents developed cardinal symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting and fever. ARV was found in 11 stool samples and their G-serotype was G1. The ARV route of infection was not specified in either case. Since G2 was identified among sporadic diarrheas in the general public during the 1999/2000 season when Case 1 occurred, and similarly for G1 during the 2005/2006 season for Case 2, there may be an associations between group-infection cases among adults and sporadic diarrhea in the general public. Of the three types of antigen detection kit and RT-PCR used to detect ARV for this study, RT-PCR showed the highest detection. RT-PCR was considered to be the most effective in detecting the virus for group infection cases.