US health officials are on high alert due to a growing number of cases of a potentially deadly stomach virus.
Norovirus, also called the stomach virus or stomach flu, causes severe diarrhea and vomiting, potentially leading to life-threatening dehydration – and it is rapidly spreading across the country.
Norovirus infects around 21million Americans annually and sends around 2million of them to their doctor’s offices or urgent care. Approximately 465,000 people with the virus go to the emergency department every year.
State health departments reported 91 outbreaks of norovirus – considered a grouping of two or more cases stemming from a common source – during the week of December 5, up from 69 the previous week. For comparison, just two outbreaks occurred during the same week in 2021.
The virus spreads when someone is exposed to germs from a sick person’s vomit or feces. Someone can also become sick by eating contaminated food, sharing food or utensils with a person harboring the virus and by touching surfaces a sick person has previously touched.
Doctors say illness can be avoided by thoroughly cooking seafood to at least 145 degrees, washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, washing produce before eating it, sanitizing countertops, and avoiding people who have been infected.
Outbreaks are most common in congregate living facilities like nursing homes and jails, as well as on cruise ships and in schools. Earlier this month, more than 300 passengers on three different cruise ships contracted norovirus.
The current data is not comprehensive, and the number of cases is likely higher than reported. The CDC does not report individual cases because the infection usually resolves on its own within a few days and goes undiagnosed by a doctor and unreported.
Just over a dozen states participate in the CDC’s national disease surveillance system.
Norovirus causes severe diarrhea and vomiting , potentially leading to life-threatening dehydration.
According to the CDC: ‘This year, the number of reported norovirus outbreaks have exceeded the numbers that we’ve seen recently and in the years before the pandemic.’
Norovirus cases tend to peak in the winter and early spring, when people are more likely to be indoors and close to others infected with the virus.
Symptoms of norovirus – nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea – come on quickly, within 12 to 48 hours of exposure.
Most people recover within a few days.
But the virus kills around 900 people annually, mostly adults 65 and older.
The infection can lead to severe complications, especially in people whose immune systems are already weak.
Dehydration is a top concern. When the body rapidly loses fluids and electrolytes through repeated vomiting and bouts of diarrhea, a person can experience dangerously low blood pressure, reduced blood flow to their organs, and an electrolyte imbalance that can damage the heart and muscles.
Electrolyte imbalances can also cause seizures and sometimes loss of consciousness.
Norovirus is commonly spread from undercooked shellfish that have been contaminated with the virus in the water. Oysters are a common source.
They draw in large volumes of water to extract food particles. If that water is contaminated with norovirus, those oysters can consume virus particles that accumulate in their tissues and infect people who eat them.
Oysters are filter feeders, meaning they draw in large amounts of water from which they extract nutrients. If that water is contaminated with norovirus, they then collect particles which accumulate in their tissues
Norovirus infections are common on cruise ships due to close quarters and shared facilities such as swimming pools and hot tubs that can become hotspots for infection
Earlier this month, the FDA announced a sweeping recall of oysters and clams harvested in Washington over potential norovirus contamination.
The recall did not include mention of any illnesses tied to the shellfish, but advised restaurants to stop serving them and dispose of them immediately.
A few days later, the recall was expanded to cover shellfish harvested in Canada. All told, the potentially contaminated seafood was shipped to Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New York.
People should avoid eating raw oysters, as cooking them is essential to killing the virus, including boiling them for at least three minutes, steaming them for at least four minutes, and frying, baking, or broiling them until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
Virus particles can also end up on countertops and other kitchen work surfaces such as cutting boards. Sanitizing them with disinfectant is key.
The particles can linger there for days or even weeks at a time.
Soap and water do a better job of killing the virus than hand sanitizers because of the unique structure of the viral particles. Alcohol cannot penetrate the particles; hard outer shell.
And It only takes a few of those particles to make a person sick.
The virus is highly transmissible, and a person can remain infectious for up to two weeks after symptoms subside.
To reduce the odds of spreading the virus, the CDC recommends washing all linens for the longest time possible and drying them at the highest setting. The infected person should also avoid the kitchen.
There’s no antiviral treatment for norovirus and doctors recommend replenishing fluids with sugar-free drinks rich in electrolytes.
When it comes to food, the blander the better, including clear broth, apple sauce, crackers, rice, and toast. Dairy products as well as fatty foods, spicy foods, and alcohol should be avoided.
