Risk factors associated with outbreaks of seasonal infectious disease in school settings, England, UK



Donaldson, AL ORCID: 0000-0002-5760-2753, Harris, JP, Vivancos, R and O'Brien, SJ ORCID: 0000-0003-2896-8999
(2020) Risk factors associated with outbreaks of seasonal infectious disease in school settings, England, UK. EPIDEMIOLOGY AND INFECTION, 148. e287-.

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Abstract

Children are important transmitters of infection. Within schools they encounter large numbers of contacts and infections can spread easily causing outbreaks. However, not all schools are affected equally. We conducted a retrospective analysis of school outbreaks to identify factors associated with the risk of gastroenteritis, influenza, rash or other outbreaks. Data on reported school outbreaks in England were obtained from Public Health England and linked with data from the Department for Education and the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted). Primary and all-through schools were found to be at increased risk of outbreaks, compared with secondary schools (odds ratio (OR) 5.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.50-7.58 and OR 4.66, 95% CI 3.27-6.61, respectively). School size was also significantly associated with the risk of outbreaks, with higher odds associated with larger schools. Attack rates were higher in gastroenteritis and influenza outbreaks, with lower attack rates associated with rashes (relative risk 0.17, 95% CI 0.15-0.20). Deprivation and Ofsted rating were not associated with either outbreak occurrence or the subsequent attack rate. This study identifies primary and all-through schools as key settings for health protection interventions. Public health teams need to work closely with these schools to encourage early identification and reporting of outbreaks.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Humans, Communicable Diseases, Risk Factors, Seasons, Disease Outbreaks, Adolescent, Child, Child, Preschool, England
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 08 Dec 2020 16:50
Last Modified: 18 Jan 2023 23:19
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268820002824
Open Access URL: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268820002824
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URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3109655