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VIRAL GASTROENTERITIS - ITALY (02): (BRESCIA) BACKGROUND
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A ProMED-mail post
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Sat 27 Jun 2009
Source: GIDEON (Global Infectious Disease & Epidemiology Network) [edited]
<http://www.gideononline.com/blog/2009/06/26/viral-gastroenteritis-in-italy/>
Re: ProMED-mail Viral gastroenteritis - Italy: (BS) norovirus susp.
20090626.2331
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The episode in Brescia is the latest of several recent outbreaks of
viral gastroenteritis in Italy. The following background information
is abstracted from Gideon at the URL above.
Prevalence surveys
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Adenoviruses account for 6 percent of pediatric hospitalizations in
Sicily for diarrhea, rotavirus 25.1 percent, astrovirus 7 percent,
norovirus 18.6 percent (2003).
Adenoviruses are found in 6.2 percent of pediatric patients with acute
diarrhea (2005).
Noroviruses account for 10.4 percent of hospitalized pediatric
gastroenteritis cases in northern Italy (2002).
Noroviruses were the most frequently involved viruses (23.7 percent)
in sporadic acute diarrhea among hospitalized children and were more
common in children older than 5 years (37 percent) than in children
younger than 5 years (10 percent). The frequency of rotavirus, enteric
adenovirus and astrovirus was 12.2 percent, 1.6 percent and 2.4
percent, respectively (Brescia, 2007 publication).
Noroviruses account for 48.4 percent of pediatric (below age 3)
hospitalizations for diarrhea in Palermo (2004).
18.2 percent of retail bivalve mollusks in Rome are contaminated with
astrovirus, and 2.1 percent with norovirus (2007 publication).
Norovirus infection was confirmed in a captive lion cub (_Panthera
leo_) in Pistoia in 2004.
Notable outbreaks
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- 2000: 344 cases of norovirus gastroenteritis occurred at a tourist
resort in the Gulf of Taranto. Presumed source drinking water. This
was the 1st confirmed outbreak of NLV [Norwalk-like virus?] infection
in Italy.
- 2002: 200 cases or more of norovirus gastroenteritis in southern
Italy caused by contaminated shellfish.
- 2003: 169 cases of presumed Norovirus gastroenteritis reported at a
resort in central Italy.
- 2005: an outbreak of norovirus infection at a [tourist resort] in
Puglia was ascribed to contamination of raw mussels and ice by tap
water.
- 2006: 35 cases) of norovirus infection reported in a
residential-care facility for the elderly in northern Italy.
- 2006: 700 cases or more of norovirus gastroenteritis reported among
passengers on a cruise ship from Rome to the United States.
- 2007: 2860 cases of gastroenteritis in Apulia due to norovirus and
rotavirus caused by contaminated water.
- 2008: 190 cases of norovirus infections reported among French,
Irish, Italian & Dutch pilgrims to Lourdes [France].
--
Communicated by:
Dr Steve Berger
Geographic Medicine
Tel Aviv Medical Center
Israel
<mberger@post.tau.ac.il>
[ProMED-mail thanks Prof. Berger for provision of these data. He has
indicated that the primary references are available from him on request.
The places mentioned in the report above can be located using the
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Italy at
<http://healthmap.org/r/00uE>. - Mod.CP]
[see also:
Viral gastroenteritis - Italy: (BS) norovirus susp. 20090626.2331
2006
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Norovirus, increased activity - Europe 20061214.3522
2005
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Viral gastroenteritis update 2005 (11) 20050624.1768
2003
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Viral gastroenteritis update 2003 (23) 20031031.2716]
........................................cp/mj/jw
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