Frozen strawberries from China sickened 11,000 people in Germany in the fall of 2012, according to a new report. A single caterer distributed the berries within the country, mostly to schools and childcare facilities.
In total, children at 390 schools and child care facilities were exposed to the contaminated berries. All of the affected locations served the tainted berries for lunch. The following day, September 27, 2012, reports of illness began pouring in to health agencies.
The kitchens at the facilities prepared the frozen strawberries in different ways. In some cases, they were defrosted and sugared. In others, they were poured into boiling water and briefly boiled. In facilities not affected by the outbreak, the kitchens served the strawberries after boiling them.
Norovirus is highly contagious and spreads quickly in contained areas such as schools, nursing comes and cruise ships. About half of all food posioning outbreaks in the U.S. are caused by norovirus. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and low-grade fever. Infected individuals are most contagious while they have symptoms and for three days after symptoms resolve.
