Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games: Description of public health-related events

Abstract

Objectives: The Olympic and Paralympic Games (OPG) represent one of the largest mass gathering events held globally. The 2024 Paris OPG took place between July 27th and August 11th (Olympic Games) and between August 28th and September 8th (Paralympic Games). This study describes the 2024 Paris OPG-related disease reports.

Study design: A cross-sectional study was conducted in France in 2024.

Methods: Data were collected from the Regional Health Agency of the Ile-de-France area, as part of its routine operations, through a dedicated software program named 'Health Surveillance and Safety Information System'. All OPG-related events were described, including their notifications and outcomes.

Results: In total, eight OPG-related events were reported. Six of these events involved food poisoning in tourists, employees or athletes; however, only one of these six was validated after investigation. The seventh event was the presence of Listeria, which was reported in cabbage served at the Olympic Village; however, no symptomatic case occurred. Finally, an individual who tested positive for dengue fever attended an outdoor competition during the viremia period. The mosquito control team visited the OPG site and found no adult vector nor larvae.

Conclusions: No serious health events were reported for the 2024 OPG. However, improvements on surveillance remain necessary, especially in creating user-friendly reporting systems and the active participation of laboratories.

Keywords: Disease surveillance; Mass gathering events; Olympic games; Reportable diseases.