The spread of infantile gastro-enteritis in a cubicled ward

The type strains of Bact. coli , described by Bray (1945), Giles & Sangster (1948), Giles et al. (1949), Taylor et al. (1949), Smith (1949) and Rogers (1951 b ), because of their very intimate association with epidemic infantile gastro-enteritis, have been used as indicator organisms to show that the method of cross-infection of epidemic gastro-enteritis is very like that of the cross-infection of burns. It has been shown how a cubicle becomes widely contaminated within 18 hr. and that type strains of Bact. coli will remain viable in dust for at least 27 days. Communal articles used throughout a ward are blamed for the inter-cubicle spread in a divided ward. The intimate association of the α- and β-types of Bact. coli with outbreaks of gastro-enteritis is demonstrated, and figures are given to show how these outbreaks prolong the patient's stay in hospital and waste valuable hospital space.