摘要：In April 1998 an outbreak of gastroenteritis affected visitors, but none of the Aboriginal residents, at a TerritoryHealth Services luncheon in a rural Aboriginal community in Central Australia. The epidemiological features andidentification of Small Round Structured Virus (SRSV) from two participants suggest that this was an outbreakcaused by a SRSV. The attack rate in the visitors who ate or drank food at the luncheon was 73% (11 of 15).Seventeen Aboriginal residents were interviewed, none had gastroenteritis. The community potable wa ter supplywas contaminated with faecal bacteria around the time of the outbreak. No particular food could be implicated andlaboratory examination of foods was not possible. It is proposed that past exposure to SRSVs may have resulted inthe Aboriginal residents developing clinical immunity to infection. The process and consequences of theinvestigation in this community are also discussed
