Group A rotavirus, which is the most common cause of diarrhea in children, can also cause outbreaks of gastroenteritis in healthy adults. The illness was associated with eating deli sandwiches at a dining hall on campus. The cause of the outbreak was identified as Group A rotavirus. Group A rotavirus infects nearly all children worldwide by 5 years of age, and its mode of transmission in this age group is not completely understood. Investigators of gastroenteritis outbreaks in adults should consider rotavirus as a possible cause for infection.
Childhood lead poisoning in young children still remains a problem in some local areas.
The primary sources of childhood lead exposure are deteriorated leaded paint and the soil and dust it contaminates in old housing. There is an ongoing need to target and monitor state and local prevention efforts in populations at increased risk for lead exposure. State and local health agencies are encouraged to target screening efforts by using blood lead surveillance data, census data, Medicaid data, and other sources of information on risk factors such as housing age and poverty.