A large outbreak ofNorovirus gastroenteritislinked to a catering company, New South Wales, October 2003

Use of prohibition order after a large outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by a norovirus among function attendees

“…2 Food handlers have been identified as the route of transmission in numerous norovirus outbreaks, with uncooked foods, such as salads, most likely to be contaminated. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9] Infected people can continue to shed norovirus after cessation of symptoms, with one study finding that stool samples were positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for norovirus up to three weeks after the onset of illness. 10 In New South Wales (NSW), the responsibility for investigating suspected outbreaks of foodborne illness and implementing control measures is shared between the local public health unit, which conducts Use of a prohibition order after a large outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by norovirus among function attendees the epidemiological investigation, and the NSW Food Authority, which conducts the environmental investigations.…”