title: Rapid propagation of norovirus gastrointestinal illness through multiple nursing homes following a pilgrimage.
abstract: Reported here is an outbreak of gastroenteritis due to Norovirus infection that affected at least 450 persons from nursing homes and similar institutions in Switzerland during and after an organised pilgrimage to Lourdes in France. The outbreak was characteristic of direct person-to-person transmission, with the primary cases occurring in the hospital that harboured some of the pilgrims in Lourdes.
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D029322:Norovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009735:Nursing Homes; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015996:Survival Rate; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014195:Travel