Import of norovirus infections in the Netherlands and Ireland following pilgrimages to Lourdes, 2008--preliminary report

L Verhoef; E Duizer; H Vennema; J Siebenga; C Swaan; L Isken; M Koopmans; K Balay; P Pothier; P McKeown; G van Dijk; P Capdepon; G Delmas

Import of norovirus infections in the Netherlands and Ireland following pilgrimages to Lourdes, 2008--preliminary report

Euro Surveill. 2008 Oct 30;13(44):pii: 19025.

Authors

L Verhoef¹, E Duizer, H Vennema, J Siebenga, C Swaan, L Isken, M Koopmans, K Balay, P Pothier, P McKeown, G van Dijk, P Capdepon, G Delmas

Affiliation

¹ National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Center for Infectious Disease Control, Bilthoven, the Netherlands. [email protected]

PMID: 19000561

Abstract

Between mid-September and 19 October 2008, nine clusters of norovirus infection involving around 90 primary cases and over a hundred secondary cases were identified in patients from the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy and France, linked to pilgrimage to Lourdes, France.

MeSH terms

Caliciviridae Infections / epidemiology*
Caliciviridae Infections / microbiology
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome / epidemiology*
Disease Outbreaks / statistics & numerical data*
France / epidemiology
Gastroenteritis / epidemiology*
Gastroenteritis / microbiology
Humans
Incidence
Ireland / epidemiology
Netherlands / epidemiology
Norovirus / isolation & purification*
Population Surveillance*
Risk Assessment / methods*
Risk Factors
Travel / statistics & numerical data*