Threat LensBiologicalItaly, Norovirus detected in Lombardy's waters

Italy, Norovirus detected in Lombardy’s waters

Type of event:
Disease/Outbreak, Public Health

Victims

Wounded

Date

April 24, 2024

What happened

The Mountain Health Agency (ATS) has announced that “the values recorded following investigations carried out on water samples taken at Passo del Tonale make it temporarily unfit for food”, specifying that the microbiological analyses have confirmed the positivity of the waters to Norovirus in one of the sampling points of the aqueduct near Ponte di Legno, municipality in the province of Brescia.

Norovirus is an extremely contagious virus that leads to symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. It has resulted in acute gastroenteritis among numerous tourists in the region, including a schoolgirl lodging at a hotel within the affected zone. Currently, there is no specific treatment or preventive vaccine for Noroviruses. The immunization mechanisms against Noroviruses are not well understood, and immunity is believed to last only a few months, as stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Where it happened

Main sources