Norovirus outbreak in Army service members, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, May 2018

In May 2018, an outbreak of gastrointestinal illnesses due to norovirus occurred at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. The outbreak lasted 14 days, and a total of 91 cases, of which 8 were laboratory confirmed and 83 were suspected, were identified. Because the cases occurred among a population of several thousand service members transiting through a crowded, congregate setting of open bays of up to 250 beds, shared bathrooms and showers, and large dining facilities, the risk of hundreds or thousands of cases was significant. The responsible preventive medicine authorities promptly recognized the potential threat and organized and monitored the comprehensive response that limited the spread of the illness and the duration of the outbreak. This report summarizes findings of the field investigation and the preventive medicine response conducted from 18 May-3 June 2018 at Camp Arifjan.