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Rapid Propagation of Norovirus Gastrointestinal Illness Through Multiple Nursing Homes Following a Pilgrimage

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Abstract

Reported here is an outbreak of gastroenteritis due to Norovirus infection that affected at least 450 persons from nursing homes and similar institutions in Switzerland during and after an organised pilgrimage to Lourdes in France. The outbreak was characteristic of direct person-to-person transmission, with the primary cases occurring in the hospital that harboured some of the pilgrims in Lourdes.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank P. Capdepon, Direction Départementale des Affaires Sanitaires et Sociales des Hautes Pyrénées for his investigations in Lourdes, H. de Valk, Institut de Veille Sanitaire, Paris, for her cooperation; C. Sacher, Cantonal Physician of Schwyz, for his precious collaboration on site; P. Helbling, Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, for critical review of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cantonal Laboratory Basel-Landschaft, 4410, Liestal, Switzerland

    R. Fretz & P. Svoboda

  2. Swiss Tropical Institute, 4002, Basel, Switzerland

    R. Fretz & M. Tanner

  3. Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, 3003, Bern, Switzerland

    H. Schmid & A. Baumgartner

  4. Oberseemattweg 4, 6403, Kuessnacht, Switzerland

    U. Kayser

Authors
  1. R. Fretz
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  2. H. Schmid
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  3. U. Kayser
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  4. P. Svoboda
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  5. M. Tanner
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  6. A. Baumgartner
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Baumgartner.

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Fretz, R., Schmid, H., Kayser, U. et al. Rapid Propagation of Norovirus Gastrointestinal Illness Through Multiple Nursing Homes Following a Pilgrimage. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 22, 625–627 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-003-1006-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-003-1006-3

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