60 sick in Swiss norovirus outbreak

More than 60 people have fallen sick after eating at a kebab shop in a Swiss municipality.

The Office for Consumer Protection (AVS) closed the kebab shop in Möhlin in Aargau as a precautionary measure earlier this month because of reports of gastrointestinal illnesses. The agency has since received more than 60 reports of illness.

AVS took several samples of food in the establishment and requested leftovers as well as stool samples from infected individuals. Laboratory analyses detected norovirus in stool and cocktail sauce samples.

The shop was temporarily shut after a visit from inspectors. AVS said the business will remain closed until further transmission can be ruled out. Reopening is subject to conditions such as thorough cleaning, disinfection of the outlet and an inspection.

AVS and the cantonal medical service conducted a survey among affected individuals. The 62 responses revealed there were other people with symptoms connected to the infected individuals.

Norovirus can cause diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps, fever and chills, with symptoms starting 12 to 48 hours after exposure and lasting two days or more.

To prevent the spread of norovirus, the Federal Office of Public Health recommends good hand hygiene. Objects or surfaces that have come into contact with stool or vomit should be cleaned and disinfected. Sick people should not prepare meals for others until at least three days after symptoms have subsided.

Smuggled meat stats
In other news, the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) in Switzerland has revealed persistently high figures for meat smuggling.

In 2024, BAZG identified 208 tons of meat in various operations. Meat was largely smuggled into Switzerland commercially, in an organized and coordinated manner.

BAZG said the aim is to transport meat products produced cheaply abroad to the country without paying customs duties and import taxes and to sell them locally at Swiss prices. It often occurs in smaller shipments brought into Switzerland by private vehicles or small vans, which are sometimes unrefrigerated.

Figures provided by the agency show more than 500 tons of meat was smuggled into Switzerland over the past three years with 263 tons in 2023 and 120 tons in 2022. Serious offenses can carry heavy fines and prison sentences, or result in removal from the country if the people involved are foreign nationals.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here)