Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by LIEB, S.
Right arrow Articles by WOODWARD, W. E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by LIEB, S.
Right arrow Articles by WOODWARD, W. E.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 121, No. 2: 259-268
Copyright © 1985 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health

research-article

NORWALK VIRUS GASTROENTERITIS

AN OUTBREAK ASSOCIATED WITH A CAFETERIA AT A COLLEGE

SPENCER LIEB1,, ROBERT A. GUNN1,2, RAMONA MEDINA3, NALINI SINGH4, ROBERT D. MAY3, HENRY T. JANOWSKI1 and WILLIAM E. WOODWARD5 6

1Health Program Office, Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (DHRS) Talla hassee, FL
2Division of Field Services, Epidemiology Program Office, Centers for Disease Control Atlanta, GA
3Pasco County Health Department, DHRS New Port Richey, FL
4National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD
5University of Texas School of Public Health, Health Science Center at Houston Houston, TX

Reprint requests to Mr. Spencer Lieb, DHRS, PDHEC-Epidemiology, 1317 Winewood Boulevard, Tallahassee, FL 32301

An explosive outhreak of gastrointestinal illness occurred among students and employees at a small college in Florida in November 1980. Common symptoms were diarrhea, nausea, weakness, abdominal cramps, chills, vomiting, and low-grade fever. Cases of illness were identified in 40% of 628 students and 15% of 162 employees who responded to a survey. Among students, there was a sevenfold excess risk associated with eating one or more meals at the campus cafeteria November 3–5 (p 0.001). Tossed salad from one meal was strongly associated with illness (p<0.0001). Fecal contamination of the salad was documented, although the source of contamination was not identified. Person-to-person spread could not be demonstrated. Seroconversion to Norwalk antigen occurred in significantly more cases (5/6) than noncases (1/6) (p=0.04).

disease outbreaks; food poisoning; gastroenteritis; Norwalk agent; viruses

6Current address: McCormick and Company, Hunt Valley, MD


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Clin. Microbiol. Rev.Home page
R. L. Atmar and M. K. Estes
Diagnosis of Noncultivatable Gastroenteritis Viruses, the Human Caliciviruses
Clin. Microbiol. Rev., January 1, 2001; 14(1): 15 - 37.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Arch Intern MedHome page
R. D. Warner, R. W. Carr, F. K. McCleskey, P. C. Johnson, L. M. G. Elmer, and V. E. Davison
A Large Nontypical Outbreak of Norwalk Virus: Gastroenteritis Associated With Exposing Celery to Nonpotable Water and With Citrobacter freundii
Arch Intern Med, December 1, 1991; 151(12): 2419 - 2424.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.