An outbreak of severe respiratory tract infection due to human metapneumovirus in a long-term care facility for the elderly in Oregon.

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) was demonstrated to be responsible for an outbreak of acute respiratory tract infection with high morbidity and mortality among residents of a long-term care facility for the elderly during the late spring-summer in Oregon. Respiratory virus infections are a common cause of death in the elderly and the burden of human metapneumovirus may be underestimated. This case report stresses the importance of hMPV in causing outbreaks in long-term care facilities for the elderly.

Clostridium difficile-associated disease in patients in a small rural hospital.

Objective: To determine the risk factors for Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) in a 25-bed rural hospital and to compare antimicrobial use ratios at the study hospital with those at a large academic medical center.

Design: Case-control study.

Setting: A 25-bed rural hospital in Iowa during the period from August 2002 through January 2005.