Public health officials give norovirus warning

The Minnesota Department of Health said that they have investigated more than 20 norovirus outbreaks in that state since the beginning of September 2015.

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes gastroenteritis, which usually involves vomiting and diarrhea, the news release said.

It is not related to influenza.

Health officials say hand sanitizers don’t protect from norovirus, which is why they remark the importance of washing hands with soap and water.

It is recommended that all handled meats and vegetables be thoroughly cooked and washed prior to eating to further avoid contracting the virus, along with adequate cleaning and disinfection of food preparation equipment and surfaces.

While the illness is spread through direct contact, contaminated food or surface, some patients continue to harbor the contagion even two weeks after recovering from it.

According to a report by the California Department of Public Health, the very contagious “Winter Vomiting Disease” is spreading rapidly across the state.

Though norovirus shares many symptoms with the seasonal flu, or influenza, it doesn’t begin as a respiratory illness which is what the general population seeks vaccination against each year, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means the virus comes from the feces or vomit of people who are sick or were recently sick, and can make someone else sick if they get the virus in their mouth and swallow it. A tiny amount of virus can make someone sick. The virus can also lead to dehydration, especially in the young and old and among those already suffering from other illnesses. The restaurant closed on December 7, but after being checked out and cleaned thoroughly, it is set to reopen soon.

Nationwide, norovirus sickens roughly 20 million people every year, health officials said, with between 600 and 800 annual deaths linked to the illness. Other symptoms include stomach pain, diarrhea and nausea, making norovirus the most common cause of gastroenteritis in the U.S.

Officials say that the spread of the virus can be easily prevented in the same way as most pathogens-washing your hands. Even though it’s associated to winter, it can present itself even in the summer, but the cold season seems to be its breeding ground and home.

According to California health officials, numerous outbreaks of the norovirus there have happened “at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities”. Symptoms of Norovirus can last a few days in healthy individuals but can become progressively worse in children, the elderly, and those with a compromised immune system.

Visit http://www.cdph.ca.gov/healthinfo/discond/Pages/Norovirus.aspx for more information.