Bug Breakfast in the Bulletin: epidemic keratoconjunctivitis: an outbreak in New South Wales.

In response, the public health unit and infection control staff visited the clinic and assessed the environment and infection control procedures. With identification of the outbreak the clinic had replaced 15 ml multi-dose eyedrop bottles with smaller volume vials and reduced their clinical caseload. In addition, the public health unit advised the clinic to: obtain laboratory confirmation of the diagnosis; notify the public health unit of further clinical cases; assist in a formal outbreak investigation; and implement additional infection control measures. These included: triaging patients with a ‘red eye’ to a separate examination room; routinely using gloves; avoiding tonometry unless required; disinfecting tonometer prisms with bleach solution after use on a patient with a ‘red eye’; hand washing or the use of antiseptic hand gel between patients; and cleaning environmental surfaces as part of the routine cleaning schedule.