Question: In your opinion, what is the biggest infection threat to schools today, tomorrow and in 10 years time?

Currently the biggest threat today to schools is the norovirus, as it quickly spreads from skin-to-skin contact and a lot of the time children who have had sickness return to school before the virus is out of their system (two days). Shigella (24 hour diarrhoea bug) is another common problem with schools but often unreported, leading to a wider spread of the virus through children. Respiratory viruses, such as swine flu and the common cold, will also continue to be prevalent.

We can expect to see community acquired strains of MRSA becoming the next big threat to schools. The US is currently experiencing significant outbreaks and with global travel a common occurrence, the virus has a simple channel back over the ocean.