Norovirus in oysters from France in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland and Sweden
Norovirus in oysters from France in the Netherlands
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Category Archives: Norovirus
RASFF Alerts – Norovirus – French Oysters
Research – France – Acute gastroenteritis: results of winter surveillance 2019-2020
Public Health France publishes the 2019-2020 annual winter surveillance report for acute gastroenteritis in mainland France, marked by two major events and in particular a historic drop in AGEs never observed over the past 10 years.
Acute winter gastroenteritis (AGE) is mainly of viral origin, with a dominant circulation of noroviruses and rotaviruses. Noroviruses are responsible for AGE in people of all ages, while rotaviruses mainly affect children under 5 years of age. A winter resurgence of cases is observed each year, in France, as in Europe, generating an increase in medical consultations for AGE usually between December and April. A peak is often observed during the first two weeks of January.
Fluctuating activity for GEA over the 2019-2020 winter season
A significant peak observed in connection with an episode of collective food poisoning in several metropolitan areas
As in the two previous seasons, an increase in the number of AGE cases was observed at the start of the winter season, followed by a sharp increase in visits to hospital emergencies and general medicine at the end of December 2019 – beginning of January 2020, higher than the peaks of the 7 previous seasons in week 01-2020, and reaching 3.1% of total activity in hospital emergencies.
This upsurge in the number of AGE cases coincided with a significant and unusual occurrence of collective food poisoning that impacted several metropolitan areas in connection with the consumption of contaminated oysters that occurred in 2019* during the end-of-year celebrations.
A sharp decrease in activity to historically low levels, most likely related to the measures put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic
Following the first confinement (March-April 2020) introduced as part of the Covid-19 pandemic , very low levels of activity for GEA were recorded from March and April 2020 in hospital emergencies and in general medicine (Sentinels Network and SOS Médecins).
Indeed, the proportion of emergency visits for gastroenteritis fell sharply at the start of 2020 to reach historically low levels and then stabilized at 0.5% of activity from April 2020 . According to data from the Sentinel Network, the 2019-2020 winter season was characterized by the lowest cumulative incidence rate of cases of acute diarrhea seen in general medicine consultations over the last 10 seasons .
This historic decrease in epidemic activity for acute gastroenteritis in France is most likely related to the measures introduced in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (confinement, physical distancing, reinforcement of hand hygiene). Such levels have not been observed over 10 years of retrospective data for all monitoring indicators.
Key points 2019 – 2020 regarding acute gastroenteritis
The analysis period corresponds to the winter monitoring period, from November 18, 2019 to April 13, 2020.
- 96,713 hospital emergency visits , i.e. 1.6% of emergency visits. 44.4% of visits for acute gastroenteritis concerned children aged under 5 years.
- 144,499 SOS Médecins consultations for acute gastroenteritis, i.e. 8.7% of total consultations.
- Cumulative incidence rate at the Sentinel Network:
- 2,963 cases per 100,000 inhabitants of all ages
- 6,605 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, in children under 5 , the most affected population during this period.
- Predominance of norovirus genotype GII.4 2012[P16], followed by genotype GII.17[P17].
- Significant peak of activity observed at the end of December 2019-beginning of January 2020 , concomitant with a significant upsurge in collective food poisoning linked to the consumption of oysters
- Following the first containment introduced as part of the Covid-19 pandemic, very low levels of activity were recorded from week 13-2020
USA – Norovirus outbreak linked to Seattle area restaurant
Seattle-King County Public Health reports investigating an outbreak of norovirus-like illness associated with vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and chills at Rock Wood Fired Pizza in Renton, an inner-ring suburb of Seattle.
Since February 22, 2022, 9 people from 2 separate meal parties reported becoming ill after eating food from the Rock Wood Fired Pizza between February 19 and 20, 2022.
Environmental Health Investigators visited the restaurant on February 23, 2022. Investigators did not find any risk factors that are known to contribute to the spread of norovirus. The restaurant closed on February 23, 2022, to complete a thorough cleaning and disinfection. All ready-to-eat foods were discarded for those processed before the restaurant was disinfected.
Environmental Health investigators revisited the restaurant on February 24 and confirmed proper cleaning and disinfection was completed. The restaurant was reopened on February 24, 2022.
Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Norovirus, outbreak, Virus
RASFF Alerts – Norovirus – French Oysters
Canada – Certain Raw BC Oysters recalled due to Norovirus
Summary
Product
Raw BC Oysters
Issue
Food – Microbial Contamination – Norovirus
What to do
Do not use, sell, serve or distribute the affected product.
Audience
Hotels, restaurants and institutions.
Issue
Certain Raw BC Oysters recalled due to norovirus.
The recalled product has been sold in British Columbia.
| None | Raw BC Oysters | Variable – Sold by the dozen | LF 1402294 Subarea 14-8 Harvested January 31, 2022 Lot# 22020135 |
Additional information
Details
Media and public
Research – Norovirus behind a third of outbreaks in Finland
Norovirus was the main cause of foodborne outbreaks in Finland from 2017 to 2019, according to figures published recently by the Finnish Food Authority (Ruokavirasto).
About 2,900 people were reported to have fallen ill in 162 foodborne outbreaks with 110 hospitalizations and nine deaths.
Norovirus caused 57 foodborne outbreaks including two in 2018 through meals at medical and elderly care institutions with 292 and 110 cases. The most commonly reported vectors were fish and fish products, including shellfish and mussels. These caused 14 outbreaks.
Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Norovirus, outbreak, Virus
Turkey – Norovirus behind mass hospitalizations in Turkey’s Bilecik – Water Contamination
Authorities announced that norovirus is the culprit behind the hospitalization of hundreds of people in the western province of Bilecik in recent weeks. An investigation found out that the virus, whose symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and stomachache, originated from city’s drinking water. Health Ministry crews discovered that unfiltered water from a spring had contaminated drinking water supplies to the city of more than 228,000 people.
Posted in Contaminated water, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Norovirus, outbreak, Virus, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety
RASFF Alerts – Norovirus – Oysters – Razor Clams
Norovirus in oysters – Belgium and Netherlands
Norovirus GI in razor clams from the Netherlands in Spain
Research – Illuminating Human Norovirus: A Perspective on Disinfection of Water and Surfaces Using UVC, Norovirus Model Organisms, and Radiation Safety Considerations
Abstract
Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are a major cause of gastroenteritis and are associated with high morbidity because of their ability to survive in the environment and small inoculum size required for infection. Norovirus is transmitted through water, food, high touch-surfaces, and human-to-human contact. Ultraviolet Subtype C (UVC) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can disrupt the norovirus transmission chain for water, food, and surfaces. Here, we illuminate considerations to be adhered to when picking norovirus surrogates for disinfection studies and shine light on effective use of UVC for norovirus infection control in water and air and validation for such systems and explore the blind spot of radiation safety considerations when using UVC disinfection strategies. This perspective also discusses the promise of UVC for norovirus mitigation to save and ease life.
Posted in Antimicrobials, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Technology, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Norovirus, Research, Technology, UV Microbiology
Research – EU Commission notice on guidance document on addressing microbiological risks in fresh fruits and vegetables at primary production through good hygiene – 2017
According to the 2014 Zoonosis Monitoring Report (1), the majority of verified outbreaks in the EU were associated with foodstuffs of animal origin. Fruit and vegetables were implicated in only 7,1 % of the verified outbreaks, primarily caused by frozen raspberries contaminated with Norovirus, albeit showing an increase compared to 2013 where ‘vegetables and juices’ were reported in 4,4 % of the outbreaks.
Nevertheless, the possible consequences of microbiological contamination of fresh fruits and vegetables (FFV) cannot be underestimated as shown by the German crisis (2) linked to the contamination of sprouts by Verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC).In the aftermath of this VTEC crisis in 2011, the Commission asked the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to advice on the public health risks posed by pathogens in food of non-animal origin (FNAO), addressing in particular the risk factors and the mitigation options including possible microbiological criteria.
As a result, EFSA issued six scientific opinions on the following food/pathogen combinations identified as the most important risks within FNAO:
1) VTEC in seeds and sprouted seeds
(2) Salmonella and Norovirus in food of leafy greens eaten raw as salads.
(3) Salmonella and Norovirus in berries.
(4) Salmonella and Norovirus in tomatoes.
(5) Salmonella in melons.
(6) Salmonella, Yersinia, Shigella and Norovirus in bulb and stem vegetables, and carrots.
This guideline takes account of the relevant opinions of EFSA, and consultation with Member States experts and relevant stakeholders. Though it is intended to offer practical help to growers, it may also be used by official inspectors during their audits where appropriate. EFSA confirmed that further research on possible risks and risk mitigating measures related to FFV should continue.
Posted in EFSA, Food Microbiology Research, Norovirus, Research, Salmonella, Shigella, STEC, STEC E.coli, VTEC, Yersinia
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