A gastroenteritis outbreak that sickened more than 250 people on the Aegean island of Kea earlier this month was not caused by contaminated water, the National Public Health Organization (EODY) said on Friday.
Water samples from the island’s northern network tested negative for pathogens; results from the south are pending.
EODY dispatched a team on August 22 after dozens of cases were reported daily. Experts now believe the outbreak stemmed from a highly transmissible virus, likely Norovirus, and crowded summer conditions.
“This particular virus can be transmitted easily, through the use of a shared toilet, or through vomit [if an affected area is not cleaned properly],” said epidemiologist Dimitris Paraskevis.