GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Norovirus is a gastrointestinal infection that can result in nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
According to the CDC, most norovirus outbreaks occur between November and April, and on average results in 19 to 21 million illnesses a year.
Fortunately, the vast majority of cases resolve on their own within 24-48 hours, however the illness still brings on unpleasant and disruptive symptoms.
"It also loves to transmit in enclosed areas where lots of people are coming together, we can see outbreaks in places like cruise ships, and in any sort of congregate setting where lots of people are living together, or spending a lot of time together," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the Chief Medical Executive for the state of Michigan.
Dr. Andrew Jameson, a specialty medical director and section chief of infectious disease at Trinity Health West Michigan, says clusters of cases are not uncommon, as the disease spreads quickly through personal contact or touching contaminated surfaces.
"Norovirus is highly infectious, and it only takes a few viral particles to make people super sick, and so you'll get many, many people that have very kind of loose connections with each other, that ended up getting infected with these outbreaks," said Dr. Jameson.
The CDC explains that norovirus causes 58% of food born illnesses.
Dr. Liam Sullivan, an adult infectious disease specialist at Corewell Health, says the particles that cause norovirus spread mainly through personal contact, or touching surfaces that have been contaminated.
"It takes a relatively low dose of virus to cause infection of people and hence the reason even if you just have a little bit on your hands, and what happens too is people get their hands contaminated and they start touching things, touching surfaces, touching food," said Dr. Sullivan,
Dr. Bagdasarian explains there are many subtypes, and people can become ill more than once per year.
"Norovirus is something that is very preventable, and it's something that is killed or inactivated with tools that we all have things like hot, soapy water, washing our hands frequently," said Dr. Bagdasarian, who adds that cleaning surfaces with bleach-based cleaners, washing linens and clothes with hot and soapy water, and washing hands, utensils, and fruits and vegetables before cooking can all prevent catching the norovirus.
All three doctors also say that closing toilet lids before flushing can also prevent particles from becoming airborne, and then covering surfaces in the bathroom.
For more information from the CDC, click here.
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