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Wading pool water contaminated with both noroviruses and astroviruses as the source of a gastroenteritis outbreak

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2004

L. MAUNULA ,
S. KALSO ,
C.-H. VON BONSDORFF  and
A. PÖNKÄ
L. MAUNULA
Affiliation:
HUCH Laboratory Diagnostics, Division of Virology, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
S. KALSO
Affiliation:
City of Helsinki, Environmental Centre, Helsinginkatu 24, 00530 Helsinki, Finland
C.-H. VON BONSDORFF
Affiliation:
HUCH Laboratory Diagnostics, Division of Virology, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00290 Helsinki, Finland Haartman Institute, Department of Virology, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
A. PÖNKÄ
Affiliation:
City of Helsinki, Environmental Centre, Helsinginkatu 24, 00530 Helsinki, Finland
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Abstract

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In July 2001, an outbreak of gastroenteritis occurred in Helsinki among children and adults after bathing in an outdoor wading pool. The epidemiological survey revealed that at least 242 persons were affected. Microbiological testing of both patient stool samples and of the pool water revealed the presence of two different gastroenteritis viruses: a norovirus (NV) and an astrovirus. Amplicon sequencing of the NV samples showed nucleotide sequence identity between the virus from patients and the water. After changing the pool water and the sand at the bottom of the pool followed by shock chlorination, no virus could be detected in the water. However, NV was continuously detected in the water outlet well as much as 8 months after the incident. Here we show how molecular methods aided in tracing the source of the epidemic and in finding the causative pathogens both in patients and in the environment.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 132 , Issue 4 , August 2004 , pp. 737 - 743
Copyright
2004 Cambridge University Press