More than 10,000 children with vomiting diarrhea

More than 10,000 children in eastern Germany had contracted vomiting diarrhea.

03.10.2012

In eastern Germany, more than 10,000 children and adolescents suffer from diarrheal diarrhea (acute gastroenteritis), according to the statement of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in a recent epidemiological report. According to the RKI „There is a connection with food consumption in care facilities and schools.“ Noroviruses are suspected as triggers, but finally the cause of the disease is not yet clear ...

A large part of the reported gastrointestinal diseases broke out in five East German states about a week ago. Since then they work „competent health and food monitoring authorities at federal, state and local level to stop the current outbreak of acute gastroenteritis and to identify the cause“, reports the RKI. At the federal level, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) are also involved. However, according to the experts of the RKI, the peak of the disease is already over. „Things have calmed down in the last four days“ and „the clues gather that the outbreak is over“, so the message of the RKI. The cause of the outright diarrhea epidemic remains unclear, however.

Norovirus possible trigger of diarrheal diseases
Competent authorities are working hard to identify the trigger of the diarrheal disease. According to RKI interpret „the microbiological results of the last few days are increasing in the direction of a norovirus event, even if this is not conclusively confirmed.“ In addition, as possible causes „also consider toxins of toxin-producing bacteria (for example: Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens).“ It could also be a superposition of two illnesses. Samples of food and affected patients are examined in the laboratory. However, the results are not yet available.

Related to canteen meals in schools and kindergartens
According to previous estimates of the authorities, the triggers of the diarrhea were spread by eating in the canteens of kindergartens and schools. Almost all 416 affected care facilities were supplied with food by a common supplier of regional kitchens, according to the states of Brandenburg, Berlin, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The caterer Sodexo from Rüsselsheim (Hesse) had supplied the facilities with food. The Berlin State Secretary for Consumer Protection, Sabine Toepfer-Kataw (CDU), said that the suspected food apparently came from a supplier of the caterer. However, the Consumer Protection Secretary did not provide more specific information. The Federal Ministry for consumer protection explained that „In the coming days, the investigations will continue intensively at all levels“ be and for this „In particular, menus and shopping lists were evaluated and canteen staff interviewed“ would. The flow of goods and supplies of potentially affected food should be traced back to determine the causes of the disease.

Peak of the diseases survived
The children of vomiting who were affected in five East German states showed symptoms such as fever, massive diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Dizziness and loss of appetite were observed as concomitant symptoms. „In the affected groups, the onset of the disease was rapid and occurred within a relatively short period of time“, reports the RKI. The disease has been short and straightforward in most cases, but had 21 patients hospitalized in the hospital. Since September 28, only late reports of past illnesses have been received by the authorities, report the experts of the RKI and come to the conclusion that the peak of the wave of illness is already over. According to the RKI, most illnesses were recorded in Saxony and Brandenburg (more than 3,000 cases each). But more than 2,600 children and adolescents also fell ill in Berlin. In Thuringia, however, just under 1,000 adolescents were affected and in Saxony-Anhalt well below 100, according to the latest figures of the RKI. The next management report of the institute was announced for Thursday.

Largest food-borne gastroenteritis outbreak in Germany
Despite the intensive search of the state health offices and the „Task force“ under the leadership of the Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety in Berlin after the trigger of vomiting, it is not clear whether this can actually be determined. According to the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, there have been cases of foodborne illness in the past that could not be cleared up. However, none of the previous illnesses reached such an extent. Even in the EHEC epidemic last year, only about 4,000 people were affected. The current gastroenteritis outbreak „is with at least 10,008 cases by far the largest known food-borne outbreak in Germany“, reports the RKI. (Fp)

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Image: Dieter Schütz