1. Importance of molecular typing in confirmation of the source of a national hepatitis A virus outbreak in Norway and the detection of a related cluster in Germany.
- Author
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Guzman-Herrador BR, Panning M, Stene-Johansen K, Borgen K, Einöder-Moreno M, Huzly D, Jensvoll L, Lange H, Maassen S, Myking S, Myrmel M, Neumann-Haefelin C, Nygård K, Wenzel JJ, Øye AK, and Vold L
- Subjects
- Disease Outbreaks, Food Contamination analysis, Fruit virology, Germany epidemiology, Hepatitis A epidemiology, Hepatitis A virus classification, Hepatitis A virus genetics, Humans, Molecular Typing, Norway epidemiology, Hepatitis A virology, Hepatitis A virus isolation & purification
- Abstract
In March 2014, after an increase of notifications of domestically acquired hepatitis A virus infections, an outbreak investigation was launched in Norway. Sequenced-based typing results showed that these cases were associated with a strain that was identical to one causing an ongoing multinational outbreak in Europe linked to frozen mixed berries. Thirty-three confirmed cases with the outbreak strain were notified in Norway from November 2013 to June 2014. Epidemiological evidence and trace-back investigations linked the outbreak to the consumption of a berry mix cake. Identification of the hepatitis A virus outbreak strain in berries from one of the implicated cakes confirmed the cake to be the source. Subsequently, a cluster in Germany linked to the cake was also identified.
- Published
- 2015
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