PLEURODYNIA AMONG FOOTBALL PLAYERS AT A HIGH-SCHOOL - AN OUTBREAK ASSOCIATED WITH COXSACKIEVIRUS-B1

Objective.-Enteroviral outbreaks involving athletic teams have been de scribed, although the mode of transmission has been unclear. In Septem ber 1991, an out-break of pleurodynia among high school football playe rs provided an opportunity to identify possible modes of transmission. Design.-Retrospective cohort outbreak investigation. Setting.-Public high school in upstate New York. Results.-Illness was reported by 17 ( 20%) of the football players. Behaviors involving contact with common water containers were associated with illness, including eating ice cu bes from the team ice chest (relative risk [RR], 9.2; 95% confidence i nterval [CI], 1.3 to 65.5) and drinking water f rom the team cooler (R R, 6.3; 95% CI, 1.5 to 25.7). Coxsackievirus B1 was isolated in four ( 50%) of the eight stool specimens collected. Conclusions.-Contaminatio n of common water containers by an infected player may have contribute d to or initiated the outbreak. In addition to discouraging direct ora l contact with common drinking containers, use of individual water con tainers and ice packs for injuries was recommended.