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Norovirus Foodborne Outbreak Associated With the Consumption of Ice Pop, Southern Brazil, 2020

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Abstract

Norovirus is a major cause of foodborne-associated acute gastroenteritis (AGE) outbreaks worldwide. Usually, food products are contaminated either during harvesting or preparation, and the most common products associated to norovirus outbreaks are raw or undercooked bivalve shellfish, fruits (frozen berries) and ready-to-eat produce. In the present study, we investigated an AGE outbreak caused by norovirus associated with the consumption of ice pops in southern Brazil. Clinical stool samples from patients and ice pops samples were collected and analyzed for viruses’ detection. By using RT-qPCR and sequencing, we detected the uncommon genotype GII.12[P16] in clinical samples and GII.12 in samples of ice pop. Strains shared identity of 100% at nucleotide level strongly suggesting the consumption of ice pops as the source of the outbreak.

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Fig. 1

Data Availability

The data generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are included in this published article and additional information are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Everton Conceição da Silveira, Roberto Carlos Freitas Bugs, Eliane Maria Manara Rossoni and Giovana Dallaio Curzel for collaborating in the investigation of the outbreak. Also, we would like to thank the LVCA team for technical support.

Funding

This work was supported by The Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), PAEF—Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC-023) and Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Research Support of the State of Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) [grant number 202.796/2019, TMF—Jovem Cientista do Nosso Estado and 202.821/2018, MPM—Cientista do Nosso Estado programs]. This research study is under the scope of the activities of FIOCRUZ as a Collaborating Center of PAHO/WHO of Public and Environmental Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Comparative and Environmental Virology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Tulio Machado Fumian, Fernando César Ferreira, Juliana da Silva Ribeiro de Andrade & Marize Pereira Miagostovich

  2. Laboratory of Water and Food Microbiology, Central Laboratory of Rio Grande do Sul, State Health Surveillance Center, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Natália Canal & Gabriela Silva Gomes

  3. Epidemiological Surveillance of Food and Waterborne Disease, State Health Surveillance Center, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Lilian Borges Teixeira

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  1. Tulio Machado Fumian
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  2. Fernando César Ferreira
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Correspondence to Tulio Machado Fumian.

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Fumian, T.M., Ferreira, F.C., de Andrade, J. et al. Norovirus Foodborne Outbreak Associated With the Consumption of Ice Pop, Southern Brazil, 2020. Food Environ Virol 13, 553–559 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12560-021-09495-9

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