Researchers investigate viruses behind post-Oktoberfest illness

Researchers are studying whether the so-called Oktoberfest flu is a distinct infection wave or simply part of the usual autumn rise in respiratory illness, BR reports. The festival, known locally as the Wiesn, ended a few days ago, and many people in Munich are now reporting sniffles and coughs.

Stefan Max Brunner, a cardiologist at LMU University Hospital, began the study after finding little existing research on the illness. His team recruited Oktoberfest visitors near Hackerbrücke, a bridge, and sends participants a questionnaire one to two weeks after the festival. It asks how often they attended, whether they went into a beer tent and how much alcohol they drank.

Brunner says crowded conditions, heavy alcohol consumption and limited hygiene could contribute to infections. He also points to cold nights after festival visits, which people may pay less attention to after drinking.

For participants who become ill, the researchers take swabs to identify the viruses involved. They compare those results with samples from wastewater collected during the festival at Theresienwiese, the Oktoberfest grounds. The team is also testing samples in cities without a folk festival to distinguish any Oktoberfest-related illness from a regular autumn wave.

The study is ongoing. Brunner says preliminary findings show that influenza is responsible for some cases, but appears to account for only a small share. Other viruses that cause common cold symptoms are likely behind most cases.

The team hopes to publish its findings before the next Oktoberfest. Brunner says vaccination against influenza and coronavirus could help protect people if the study confirms those viruses are among the causes.