Abstract
A total of 56 people were affected with gastroenteritis after attending a one-day meeting in a high-quality hotel in the centre of Oslo, Norway, at the end of January 2011. A complete outbreak investigation was carried out. The microbiological investigation confirmed that the outbreak was caused by norovirus. All participants at the meeting were invited by email to complete an online questionnaire asking for information on demographic data, symptoms and food consumption. The results of the epidemiological investigation of the food items served were inconclusive and the source and transmission route of this outbreak remains unclear. However, the environmental investigation highlighted several irregularities in the kitchen that may have enabled the spread of the virus. Specific cleaning procedures and rules were set up for the kitchen staff. As a consequence of this outbreak investigation, the hotel is planning to change its internal routine protocols, for example, samples of food items served at every meal during an event will be stored.
Highlights
Noroviruses are a group of RNA viruses belonging to the Caliciviridae family that cause gastroenteritis in humans
On 31 January 2011, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) was informed about a possible outbreak of gastroenteritis among people attending a one-day meeting organised by an international company
We carried out a complete outbreak investigation in order to prevent possible future outbreaks, since the hotel where the outbreak happened is a very popular location for national and international meetings and events
Summary
Noroviruses are a group of RNA viruses belonging to the Caliciviridae family that cause gastroenteritis in humans. They are highly contagious and as few as 10 viral particles may be sufficient to infect an individual [1]. In Norway, it is the most frequently reported suspected cause of food-borne outbreaks [3]. On 31 January 2011, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) was informed about a possible outbreak of gastroenteritis among people attending a one-day meeting organised by an international company. The meeting was held on 28 January, in a hotel in the centre of Oslo: it included around 900 participants from all over Norway.
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