Multiple norovirus outbreaks among workplace canteen users in Finland, July 2006

Multiple gastroenteritis outbreaks occurred between 25 and 31 July 2006 in 10 workplace canteens in south-western Finland. One vegetable processing plant provided raw vegetables to all the canteens. We conducted cohort studies in the three most visited canteens and environmental investigations in th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Epidemiology and infection 2009-03, Vol.137 (3), p.402-407
Main Authors: MAKARY, P., MAUNULA, L., NISKANEN, T., KUUSI, M., VIRTANEN, M., PAJUNEN, S., OLLGREN, J., TRAN MINH, N. N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Disease Outbreaks
Diseases
Environmental health
Epidemics
Female
Finland - epidemiology
Food
Food consumption
Food Contamination
Food Handling
Food Microbiology
Foodborne Diseases - epidemiology
Foodborne Diseases - virology
Foodborne illnesses
Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis - epidemiology
Gastroenteritis - virology
Genotype
Humans
Hygiene
Illnesses
Kitchens
Male
Multivariate analysis
Norovirus
Norovirus - genetics
Norovirus - isolation & purification
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Salads
Surveys and Questionnaires
Vegetables
Vegetables - virology
Workplace
Workplaces
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Summary:Multiple gastroenteritis outbreaks occurred between 25 and 31 July 2006 in 10 workplace canteens in south-western Finland. One vegetable processing plant provided raw vegetables to all the canteens. We conducted cohort studies in the three most visited canteens and environmental investigations in the kitchens and the plant. Patients' stools, food, water and environmental samples were tested for enteric bacteria and viruses. Of the three canteens, 150/273 respondents (response rate 82%) had gastroenteritis. Consumption of mixed raw vegetables was significantly associated with the illness but no single vegetable explains the outbreak. An identical norovirus GII.1 genotype was detected from all genotyped patient samples. Water, food, and environmental samples were negative for norovirus. The facilities had appropriate hygienic conditions and no staff member had gastroenteritis prior to the outbreak. Tracing back the vegetables to the farm level proved unsuccessful. This was the largest foodborne norovirus outbreak in Finland.
ISSN:0950-2688
1469-4409
DOI:10.1017/S0950268808000605