title: An Outbreak of Norovirus Infections Among Lunch Customers at a Restaurant, Tampere, Finland, 2015.
abstract: On January 29, 2015, the city of Tampere environmental health officers were informed of a possible foodborne outbreak among customers who had eaten lunch in restaurant X. Employees of electric companies A and B had a sudden onset of gastrointestinal symptoms. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to identify the vehicle, source, and causative agent of the outbreak. A case was defined as an employee of companies A or B with diarrhea and/or vomiting who ate lunch at Restaurant X on January 26, 2015. All employees of the companies attending the implicated lunch were invited to participate in the cohort study. Environmental investigation was conducted. Twenty-one responders were included in statistical analysis, of which 11 met with the case definition. Of the 15 food items consumed by participants, four food items were associated with gastroenteritis. Of four kitchen staff, three tested positive for norovirus GIP7, the strain was found earlier in the community. No patient samples were obtained. Level of hygiene in the kitchen was inadequate. Infected kitchen staff probably transmitted norovirus by inadequate hygiene practices. No new cases associated with Restaurant X were reported after the hygiene practices were improved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, 33014, Tampere, Finland. Huuthuan.Vo@uta.fi.
authors.forename: Thuan Huu
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Vo
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, 33014, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Okasha
authors.affiliation: Viral Infections Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, 00271, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Haider
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al-Hello
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, 33014, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polkowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Frenckellinaukio 2B, 4th Floor, PO Box 487, 33101, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Sirpa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Räsänen
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Frenckellinaukio 2B, 4th Floor, PO Box 487, 33101, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Merja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bojang
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, 33014, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: J Pekka
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Nuorti
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Frenckellinaukio 2B, 4th Floor, PO Box 487, 33101, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Katri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jalava
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005511:Food Handling / Q000295:instrumentation; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000821:virology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D062409:Lunch; D008297:Male; D029322:Norovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D012147:Restaurants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Finland; Foodborne outbreak; Gastroenteritis; Norovirus