If the attack rate in the residents had been similar to that seen in the visitors, then between 22 and 58 cases could have been expected in the community. The response rate in the Aboriginal participants was low and they may have interpreted the symptoms differently or been less likely to report symptoms. However, it is considered unlikely that the investigations failed to detect a large outbreak of gastroenteritis among the residents. Immunity to infection with SRSVs is poorly understood. The authors propose that past recurrent gastrointestinal infection or exposure to SRSVs by community residents may have led to a different pattern of susceptibility to that of the visitors.
Gastrointestinal infection is very common in the Aboriginal population in Central Australia.
1 Top of Page Recommendations and outcomes Five months after the outbreak, the EHO and the community Women's Centre developed and delivered a training program for Aboriginal community women on safe food handling. The Women's Centre has arranged for a dedicated hand washing sink to be installed in the food preparation area. The PAWA have instigated regular flushing of a stagnant water reticulation side line. Bacteriological testing had been free of all coliforms until November 1998. We are grateful to Associate Professor Peter Wright of Monash University, and Dr Roger Schnagl of LaTrobe University who gave advice and performed virus testing and to Dr Jocelyn Forsyth and Suzanne Blogg for helpful comments on the manuscript.