Kimchi linked to norovirus outbreak across 24 Korean schools
What it found
In a 2024 outbreak in Namwon, Korea, eating cabbage kimchi from school meals was strongly linked to norovirus illness.
The outbreak affected 862 people across 24 schools.
What they found
Studies in people
Outbreak size and spread
Among 4,276 exposed people across 24 schools, 862 met the case definition, an attack rate of 20.2%. Elementary schools had the highest attack rate at 25.5%.
Kimchi as the source
People who ate cabbage kimchi were 3.85 times more likely to get sick than those who did not. The authors confirmed kimchi as the outbreak source.
Asymptomatic food handlers
Six of 16 food handlers at the kimchi facility tested positive for norovirus but had no symptoms. They were involved in washing and salting cabbage and mixing seasonings.
Symptoms and timing
The most common symptoms were diarrhea (75.0%), vomiting (71.9%), and abdominal pain (66.9%). The median incubation period was 34.0 hours.
Studies in people and animals
Virus found in samples
Norovirus GII.17 was found in sick people, in asymptomatic food handlers, and in cabbage kimchi samples from a school. The same strain was found in all these places.
Other findings
Contamination route
The exact route could not be determined, but the authors say contamination likely happened during manufacturing, either from ingredients or from asymptomatic food handlers.
What the authors conclude
“Kimchi contamination likely occurred either through ingredients or food handlers during the manufacturing process.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that kimchi contamination likely occurred through ingredients or food handlers during manufacturing.
- They emphasize the importance of stringent food safety practices and routine training for food handlers, particularly in manufacturing facilities.
- They advise that symptomatic individuals must be prohibited from handling food until fully recovered.
How it was done
Norovirus is a leading cause of foodborne outbreaks worldwide, and schools are especially vulnerable. The authors investigated this large outbreak to find its source and guide control measures.
They surveyed students and staff at 24 affected schools about symptoms and food intake, and tested human and environmental samples. They also inspected the kimchi manufacturing facility and school food service center.
What it can’t tell you
- This study followed people during a single outbreak, so it can show a link between kimchi and illness but cannot prove that kimchi caused the outbreak in every case.
- The exact route of contamination during kimchi production remains uncertain.
- The questionnaire response rate was 44.9%, and non-participants may have differed in exposure or risk factors.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Conflict of interest . The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare for this study.
- Authors work at
- Honam Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Korea; Jeonbuk State Center for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Korea; Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Korea
The paper
- Title
- A large-scale norovirus outbreak associated with kimchi consumption across multiple schools in a Korean city in 2024
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Park E, Cho S, Kim E, Park JI, Lee JH, Gwack J (2025). A large-scale norovirus outbreak associated with kimchi consumption across multiple schools in a Korean city in 2024. Epidemiology and health. doi:10.4178/epih.e2025057Free full textPubMed 41084188DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error