A norovirus oyster-related outbreak in a nursing home in France, January 2012
Epidemiology and Infection·
- DOI
- 10.1017/s0950268814003628
- PMID
- 25567093
- PMCID
- PMC9151012
- OpenAlex
- W2114277720
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The report is relevant to foodborne outbreak investigation and shellfish safety, especially the concern about norovirus in shellfish in Europe. It also suggests that oyster exposure should be considered in similar outbreak assessments.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
To investigate a norovirus gastroenteritis outbreak after a festive lunch in a French nursing home and assess whether oyster consumption was associated with illness.
Study design
Outbreak investigation based on a nursing-home event, with comparison of illness risk by oyster consumption and laboratory testing of human and oyster samples.
Population and setting
Residents and staff members of a nursing home in France, following a January 2012 festive lunch. Oyster samples from the production area were also examined.
Main findings
The outbreak affected 84 people, described as 57% of residents and staff. Illness was more common among people who ate oysters, and the reported risk increased with larger amounts consumed. Genogroup II noroviruses were detected in stool samples, in uneaten oysters, and in oysters from the production area.
Public-health relevance
The report is relevant to foodborne outbreak investigation and shellfish safety, especially the concern about norovirus in shellfish in Europe. It also suggests that oyster exposure should be considered in similar outbreak assessments.
Important limitations
The abstract does not provide full methods, case definitions, or detailed laboratory procedures. This summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata, so the original paper is needed for decision-grade interpretation.
GIDS interpretation
This article is discoverable as a published outbreak investigation linking norovirus gastroenteritis with oyster exposure in a nursing-home setting in France. It provides article-level context only and should not be treated as live surveillance evidence.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 7 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.