Category Archives: norovirus

Protected: Faerieworlds Festival – unlikely to be published (lack of content)

Outbreak: Faerieworlds Festival
Product: Food vendor stallsInvestigation Start Date: 8/2/2006
Location: Veneta, OREtiology: Norovirus
Earliest known case onset date: 7/29/2006Latest case onset date: 8/2/2006
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Count: 4 / 0Positive Environmental Samples: 0
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:
On August 2, the Lane County Public Health received eight separate reports of gastrointestinal illness from attendees of an arts and music festival held in Veneta, Oregon July 29-30. Initial inquiries by environmental health staff suggested several potential problems that could have posed a risk of transmission. The likely culprit was … Continue Reading ››

Diaper Changing Station Norovirus

Outbreak: Diaper Changing Station Norovirus
Product: Diaper changing StationInvestigation Start Date: 05/16/2012
Location: Washington County, OREtiology: Norovirus
Earliest known case onset date: 05/15/2012Latest case onset date: 05/15/2012
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Count: 12 / 4Positive Environmental Samples: 1
Hospitalizations: 0Deaths: 0
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:
This outbreak initially appeared to be a standard foodborne point-source outbreak from a restaurant with known previous critical violations. However, upon extensive interviewing, it transpired that a toddler with explosive diarrhea and the associated contaminated surfaces were the source of the outbreak.

Shopping Bag Norovirus

Outbreak: Reusable plastic shopping bag
Product: Reusable Shopping BagInvestigation Start Date: 10/13/2010
Location: Single CountyEtiology: Norovirus
Earliest known case onset date: 10/10/2010Latest case onset date: 10/12/2010
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Count: 7 / 5Positive Environmental Samples: 1
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:
Health officials made a rare discovery with this outbreak by identifying a reusable shopping bag as the vehicle for norovirus investigation. The reusable shopping bag was stored in a bathroom used by the index case during her illness onset. The bag contained cookies, chips and other food items that were … Continue Reading ››

Frozen Oysters

Outbreak: Frozen Oysters
Product: Frozen OystersInvestigation Start Date: 11/22/2006
Location: Marion County, OREtiology: Norovirus GI
Earliest known case onset date: 11/15/2006Latest case onset date: 11/17/2006
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 2 / 11Positive Samples: 1
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

A rapid investigation of a Norovirus outbreak implicated commercially frozen oysters on the half shell that were thawed and served raw. Over 25,000 pounds of product from the same lot was embargoed by the FDA, which was then considering further restrictions on this type of product, which had been … Continue Reading ››

Protected: Cholo’s Mexican Restaurant, Oahu

Outbreak: Oahu Norovirus
Product: Cholo's Mexican RestaurantLocation: North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii
Etiology: NorovirusConfirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 10 / 70
Earliest known case onset date: 04/08/2011Latest case onset date: 04/11/2011
Click here to view the bike route.
Outbreak Summary
Still need an outbreak summary.
Details:
Cholo’s is a popular (and generally good) Mexican restaurant up on the North Shore of Oahu, the most populous island in Hawaii.

Unfortunately for them, though, they apparently had some workers who had norovirus infection and proceeded to
contaminate the food they prepared. The outbreak was picked up via participants of a century (bike) ride who ate at the restaurant after their event, got sick, and reported their illness to us.

We subsequently identified at least 80 individuals who had
consumed food at the restaurant from April 8–10, 2011. Stools from about 10 of them were positive for norovirus.

The restaurant engaged in extensive cleaning and education of their workers and was able to continue operations afterward.