Norovirus
A very contagious virus spread easily via food and water
Overview
Norovirus is a very contagious virus. You can catch it from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching surfaces with the virus on them. It causes inflammation in your stomach, intestines, or both.
You can get norovirus if tiny particles of feces (poop) or vomit from an infected person get in your mouth. People with norovirus can shed billions of tiny virus particles, and it only takes a few of them to make people sick.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Norovirus will give you stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Anyone can be infected with norovirus and get sick. You can have norovirus illness many times in your life. Norovirus illness can be serious, especially for young children and older adults.
Treatment
There is no treatment for this illness, but most people recover within two to three days. It is important to drink extra fluids to prevent dehydration.
Prevention
Wash your hands well
Be aware that:
- Hand sanitizer does not work well against norovirus
- You can use hand sanitizers in addition to hand washing, but hand sanitizer is not a substitute for handwashing
Handle and prepare food safely
- Noroviruses are relatively resistant to heat and can survive temperatures as high as 145°F
- Quick steaming processes will not heat foods enough to kill noroviruses
- Food contaminated with norovirus may look, smell, or taste normal
Clean and disinfect surfaces
- See prevention tips from the CDC
- Always clean well and disinfect the entire area immediately
- Wash laundry well