A hospital outbreak of gastroenteritis possibly related to the contamination of tap water by a small round structured virus.

Small round structured viruses (SRSVs) are a major cause of gastroenteritis in institutions and sensitive new molecular techniques allow rapid diagnos is and the establishment of control measures. In January 1999, a 10 day-long outbreak of gastroenteritis in a re-educatio n ward, was reported by a hospital hygiene department. A potential common s ource of contamination was tap water. The stools of six patients with gastr oenteritis and seven tap water samples from the hospital ward, were tested for SRSV by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR): t hree stools and four water samples, all bacteriologically negative, were SR SV-positive. Nucleotide sequencing of a fragment of the SRSV polymerase gen e showed that the sequences of the positive samples (two patients and four water samples) were identical (genogroup II). We cannot exclude interhuman transmission of SRSV together with viral soiling of some taps in the ward, but this hospital infection was more likely due to the transient contaminat ion of the ward supply of drinking water with a SRSV strain. (C) 1999 The H ospital Infection Society.