A foodborne norovirus outbreak among the film crew in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Serbia

Abstract

Introduction. Norovirus is one of the most common causes of acute gastroenteritis in the world. The aim of this study was to describe characteristics of an outbreak of norovirus infection and present all the steps of an outbreak investigation. Material and Methods. A retrospective cohort study was conducted among all individuals who ate food from the same restaurant. All the exposed persons filled out an adapted questionnaire that is routinely used in patients with food poisoning. Results. This paper presents a norovirus outbreak among film crew members and measures taken to control the epidemic. Gastroenteritis was diagnosed in 20 exposed persons. In most patients, symptoms lasted 1 - 3 days, and every third patient sought medical attention. The predominant clinical manifestations were vomiting and diarrhea. The food that probably caused the infection were sandwiches with ham, cheese and lettuce and microbiological analysis confirmed that the outbreak was caused by norovirus. Conclusion. Although the source of this outbreak remains unclear, the results of environmental investigation of the restaurant showed several irregularities in the kitchen that may have caused norovirus transmission.