“Bundling Up” to Reduce Childhood Infections

Simple infection-control practices reduced the incidence of influenza-like illness, diarrhea, and hand-foot-and-mouth disease in a Thai kindergarten.

Schoolchildren play an important role in community influenza epidemics — a role that is receiving increasing attention as children return to school during the novel influenza A (H1N1) pandemic. In a timely report, researchers describe the effect of a bundle of simple infection-control interventions designed to reduce the transmission of illnesses among young schoolchildren.

The measures (hand-hygiene and cough-etiquette education of students, parents, and teachers; an annual influenza vaccination day; and enforced absenteeism for sick children) were instituted at a 240-child kindergarten in central Thailand after a 1-year preintervention period. A monthly newsletter, sent to the home of each pupil, was used to provide feedback on rates of ha…

Reviewing Author

Daniel J. Diekema, MD, MS