2007 Outbreak of Norovirus at a Golf Tournament, Florida
A charity golf tournament's participants and volunteers experienced gastrointestinal distress between November 29 to December 3. The Osceola County, Florida, foodborne epidemiology team was notified of the cluster of illnesses on December 4, and launched an investigation. Using food history surveys, the team determined that consumption of food at the event correlated with 2.27 times the risk of infection, and determined that the most likely vector was either ham or turkey sandwiches served at lunch. Further statistical analysis of the surveys led the team to conclude infection was most likely to have occurred on November 30 or December 1. The relative risk of infection of these two days was statistically significant, and these dates fit with the incubation period of the pathogen. One stool sample tested positive for Norovirus G1, which has an incubation period of 24-48 hours. The majority of illness onsets occurred on December 1 and December 2. The source of the sandwich contamination is likely to have been an ill worker, as improper sanitation and hand washing practices were noted during the investigation.
Overview
| Outbreak began: | November 2007 |
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| Affected country: | US |
| States/territories: | FL |
| Pathogen: | Norovirus |
| Vehicle(s): | Ill foodhandler, Sandwich |
| Location(s): | Golf Tournament |
| Molecular test results: | no |
Health impact
| Total ill: | 43 |
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Sources & documents
| Report / reference links | ||
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