Use of a phase-oriented management system against an outbreak of infectious gastroenteritis in an evacuation center after the Great East Japan earthquake

We report an outbreak of infectious gastroenteritis at an evacuation center for survivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Infectious gastroenteritis is easily transmitted and its control is difficult in a poor sanitary environment. The objective of this study is to describe a comprehensive system for managing infectious gastroenteritis at an evacuation center. We applied a four-phase-oriented management system to deal with the epidemic. This system was made by modifying the "noro-phase" that we previously developed against norovirus-induced gastroenteritis. The subjects of this study were individuals with infectious gastroenteritis who were living at an emergency evacuation center following the 2011 temblor. An infant diagnosed with gastroenteritis was isolated with her family on day 18 after the earthquake. The next day, four other patients with gastroenteritis were isolated. In the course of the outbreak, a maximum of 12 patients per day were isolated. We applied the phaseoriented management system on day 20. The outbreak subsided by day 27. Early application of surveillance and a management system for infectious gastroenteritis should be introduced after a large-scale disaster. The efficacy of this system should be validated in future studies.