1. Epidemiology of Foodborne Norovirus Outbreaks, United States, 2001–2008
- Author
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Hall, Aron J., Eisenbart, Valerie G., Etingüe, Amy Lehman, Gould, L. Hannah, Lopman, Ben A., and Parashar, Umesh D.
- Subjects
Male ,Epidemiology ,Food Handling ,lcsh:Medicine ,Disease ,medicine.disease_cause ,Disease Outbreaks ,Foodborne Diseases ,CME ,Vegetables ,Medicine ,Food science ,Child ,Caliciviridae Infections ,digestive, oral, and skin physiology ,Middle Aged ,attribution ,foodborne disease ,Infectious Diseases ,Child, Preschool ,Population Surveillance ,outbreaks ,Female ,Microbiology (medical) ,Adult ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Health care provider ,norovirus ,Food Contamination ,Article ,lcsh:Infectious and parasitic diseases ,Young Adult ,Environmental health ,Animals ,Humans ,viruses ,lcsh:RC109-216 ,Shellfish ,business.industry ,Research ,lcsh:R ,Outbreak ,United States ,Mollusca ,Fruit ,Norovirus ,Leafy vegetables ,Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S ,business ,Food contaminant - Abstract
In the United States, the leading cause of foodborne illness is norovirus; an average of 1 foodborne norovirus outbreak is reported every day. The more we know about how this virus is spread and in which foods, the better we can ward off future outbreaks. A recent study identified the most common sources of foodborne norovirus outbreaks as ready-to-eat foods that contain fresh produce and mollusks that are eaten raw, such as oysters. Most implicated foods had been prepared in restaurants, delicatessens, and other commercial settings and were most often contaminated by an infected food worker. Although possible contamination during production, harvesting, or processing cannot be overlooked, food safety during meal preparation should be emphasized. Food handlers should wash their hands, avoid bare-handed contact with ready-to-eat foods, and not work when they are sick., Keywords: norovirus, foodborne disease, outbreaks, attribution, United States, viruses, Noroviruses are the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States. To better guide interventions, we analyzed 2,922 foodborne disease outbreaks for which norovirus was the suspected or confirmed cause, which had been reported to the Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during 2001–2008. On average, 365 foodborne norovirus outbreaks were reported annually, resulting in an estimated 10,324 illnesses, 1,247 health care provider visits, 156 hospitalizations, and 1 death. In 364 outbreaks attributed to a single commodity, leafy vegetables (33%), fruits/nuts (16%), and mollusks (13%) were implicated most commonly. Infected food handlers were the source of 53% of outbreaks and may have contributed to 82% of outbreaks. Most foods were likely contaminated during preparation and service, except for mollusks, and occasionally, produce was contaminated during production and processing. Interventions to reduce the frequency of foodborne norovirus outbreaks should focus on food workers and production of produce and shellfish.
- Published
- 2012