A foodborne norovirus outbreak at a hospital and an attached long-term care facility.
We investigated a foodborne norovirus outbreak in a hospital and an attached long-term care facility (LTCF). An at-risk group of 698 people was identified, which included staff, hospital patients, LTCF residents, and adult daycare users who shared consumption of food prepared in a central kitchen. Three different diets were prepared in three separate sections: a standard diet, a special diet, and a diet for residents at the LTCF. During the first 3 days of the outbreak, 47 (16%) of 285 staff members and 55 (13%) of 413 patients became symptomatic. Eating the standard diet was significantly associated with a risk of illness for staff members (relative risk [RR], 18.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.76-57.03) and patients (RR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.05-4.31). Some stool samples were positive for norovirus GII/4. The standard diet may have been contaminated while being prepared in the central kitchen.
Ohwaki
Kazuhiro
K
Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan. ns-waki@med.teikyo-u.ac.jp
Nagashima
Haruko
H
Aoki
Makoto
M
Aoki
Hiroko
H
Yano
Eiji
E
D000328:Adult; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029322:Norovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*