Preventing Norovirus Outbreaks
Food service industry can help prevent norovirus outbreaks
Most norovirus outbreaks from contaminated food occur in food service settings, according to a Vital Signs report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infected food workers are frequently the source of these outbreaks, often by touching ready-to-eat foods served in restaurants with their bare hands. The report provides some key recommendations to help the food service industry prevent norovirus outbreaks from contaminated food, including certifying kitchen managers in food safety, making sure food service workers practice proper hand washing and avoid touching ready-to-eat foods with their bare hands, and having sick workers stay home until 48 hours after feeling better.
- What: Norovirus is the leading cause of disease outbreaks from contaminated food in the United States.
- How: Food workers infected with norovirus cause about 70 percent of reported norovirus outbreaks from contaminated food, often by touching ready-to-eat foods served in restaurants with their bare hands.
- Who: The food service industry can help prevent norovirus outbreaks by enforcing food safety practices, such as making sure workers always practice good hand hygiene on the job and stay home when they are sick.
The report also highlights the key role health departments play in investigating and reporting norovirus outbreaks and the need to continue to build their capacity to do so more thoroughly. Learn more about norovirus and CDC’s norovirus surveillance efforts.
CDC Media Relations
Tom Frieden, MD, MPH
“Norovirus outbreaks from contaminated food in restaurants are far too common. All who prepare food, especially the food service industry. can do more to create a work environment that promotes food safety and ensures that workers adhere to food safety laws and regulations that are already in place."
Tom Frieden, MD, MPH - Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dr. Aron Hall, DVM, MSPH, DACVPM
“About 20 million people get sick with norovirus each year in the US, resulting in an estimated 56,000 to 71,000 hospitalizations and up to 800 deaths. Norovirus is the leading cause of disease outbreaks from contaminated food, most occurring in food service settings. CDC collaborates closely with state and local health departments to improve understanding of norovirus outbreaks, where they occur and how to prevent them."
Dr. Aron Hall, DVM, MSPH, DACVPM - Epidemiologist, Viral Gastroenteritis Team, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
- Press Release: Norovirus outbreaks from contaminated food are common in food service settings: English | Spanish
- MMWR - Vital Signs: Foodborne Norovirus Outbreaks — United States, 2009–2012 | PDF [362.5 KB]
- Vital Signs: Home | June 2014 Vital Signs | Factsheet PDF [1.76MB] | Issues
- Vital Signs (Spanish): Home | June 2014 Vital Signs |Factsheet PDF [1.76MB] | Issues
- National Outbreak Reporting System
- Norovirus Sentinel Testing and Tracking
- National Voluntary Environmental Assessment Information System
- Food Safety
- Environmental Health Specialists Network Food Safety Projects
- Environmental Health Specialists Network Plain Language Study Findings
- e-Learning course: Systems approach in foodborne illness outbreak environmental assessments
- Foodborne Outbreak Tracking and Reporting
- How are foodborne outbreaks investigated?
- Foodborne Illness Surveillance Systems
- Noroviruses on Cruise Ships
- Frequently Asked Questions about Gastrointestinal Illness on Cruise Ships
- Tips for Healthy Cruising
- Norovirus in Healthcare Settings
- Guideline for the Prevention and Control of Norovirus Gastroenteritis Outbreaks in Healthcare Settings, 2011
Health communication materials
- Updated norovirus outbreak management and disease prevention guidelines
- Epidemiology of foodborne norovirus outbreaks, United States, 2001–2008
- Acute gastroenteritis surveillance through the National Outbreak Reporting System, United States
- Norovirus disease in the United States
- Genotypic and epidemiologic trends of norovirus outbreaks in the United States, 2009 to 2013
- Environmental transmission of norovirus gastroenteritis.
- Foodborne illness acquired in the United States—major pathogens
- Food worker experiences with and beliefs about working while ill
- Systematic environmental evaluations to identify food safety differences between outbreak and nonoutbreak restaurants
- Norovirus vaccine against experimental human Norwalk virus illness
- Page last reviewed: June 3, 2014
- Page last updated: June 3, 2014
- Content source: