More than 20 delegates at a business conference in Edinburgh were struck down by a mystery virus in March 2024, with two hospitalised, including a heavily pregnant woman. The outbreak occurred at the Edinburgh Training and Conference Venue on St Mary's Street, and came to light through a Freedom of Information request.
Attendees suffered headaches, stomach pains, fatigue, diarrhoea and vomiting. One delegate reported being 'unable to eat or drink until Saturday evening' after falling ill, while another described a 'total lack of energy' that forced them to stay in bed. Emails revealed one person remained in hospital nearly a week after admission.
Initially mistaken for food poisoning, an independent investigation by Edinburgh Council's environmental health team concluded the illness was 'most likely caused by a virus', with norovirus-like symptoms. Only three of 22 delegates from one group escaped illness in the short term.
The chief executive of one affected company was among those who fell sick. Affected delegates had consumed soup and sandwiches, but investigators could not pinpoint a specific food source and ruled out food-borne illness.
