2012 Outbreak of Sapovirus at a Catered Banquet in St. Paul, Minnesota
People who attended an April 27, 2012 catered banquet in St. Paul, Minnesota were sickened with sapovirus. Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and City of Maplewood Environmental Health staff investigated the outbreak. MDH interviewed 43 attendees. Twenty-five met the case definition. The median incubation period for cases was 39 hours (range, 2 to 111 hours). The median duration of illness was 25 hours (range, 20 to 62 hours). One case visited a medical provider but was not hospitalized. No one died. Four stool specimens collected from banquet attendees were submitted to the MDH Public Health Laboratory. All four specimens tested positive for sapovirus genotype GI. All specimens had identical nucleic acid sequences. All the foods were self-serve on a buffet line. All dishes, silverware, and linens were provided by the caterer. No food items were significantly associated with illness in univariate analysis. Illness histories and job duty information were obtained from 3 catering employees. Non reported having had gastrointestinal illness previous to or on the implicated meal date. One employee reported becoming ill on April 30. The source of contamination was not identified. The occurrence of very short reported incubation among attendees suggests that one or more infectious attendee could have contaminated buffet items or serving utensils.
- Outbreak began:
- April 2012
- Affected Country:
- US
- Affected States/Territories:
- Minnesota
- Organism(s):
-
- Sapovirus
- Vehicle(s):
- Unknown
- Molecular Results Available:
- Yes
- Test Results:
- GI
- Location(s):
- Catered Event
- Brand Name(s):
- Total ill:
- 25
- Number ill by Case Definition Known:
- Yes
- Number Laboratory Confirmed Cases:
- 4
- Number Probable Cases:
- 21
- Number Possible Cases:
- 0
- Anyone Hospitalized:
- No
- Number Hospitalized:
- 0
- Any Deaths:
- No
- Number Dead:
- 0
- Any References:
- No
-
- References:
- MN DOH Outbreak Summary