Norovirus

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About Norovirus–

• It is the most common cause of gastroenteritis.
• It is a bug similar to the diarrhoea-inducing rotavirus and it infects people across age groups.
• Disease outbreaks typically occur aboard cruise ships, in nursing homes, dormitories, and other closed spaces.
• The initial symptoms of Norovirus are vomiting and/or diarrhoea, which show up one or two days after exposure to the virus. 
• Patients also feel nauseous, and suffer from abdominal pain, fever, headaches and body aches. 
• In extreme cases, loss of fluids could lead to dehydration.

• This disease is self-limiting, the infection, even though it takes a lot out of the patient, normally lasts only two or three days.
• It is highly contagious, and can be transmitted through contaminated food, water, and surfaces. 
• The primary route is oral-faecal. 
• One may get infected multiple times as the virus has different strains. 
• It is resistant to many disinfectants and heat up to 60°C. 
• Therefore, merely steaming food or chlorinating water does not kill the virus. 
• The virus can also survive many common hand sanitisers.
• As per WHO estimations, it is the most common pathogen implicated in outbreaks of gastrointestinal disease (inflammation of the stomach and intestines).
• About one out of every five cases of acute gastroenteritis worldwide is caused by Norovirus.
• Diagnosis is done by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.
• No vaccines are available for the disease. 

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