Norovirus is a member of the Caliciviridae viruses. This virus is responsible for viral gastroenteritis outbreaks.
The virus spreads through the feces and vomit of people and animals with the infection. People can contract this virus by:
- Consuming contaminated foods and water.
- Touching a person’s mouth with the same hand that they just used to touch someone who has norovirus or a contaminated surface.
It is difficult to eliminate noroviruses because they can persist in hot and cold temperatures and are resistant to many disinfectants.
Noroviruses continually undergo genetic changes. Thus, humans tend to develop a norovirus infection more than once during their lifetime, although their symptoms are usually less severe each time.
Table of Contents
What are the symptoms of norovirus?
The first symptom of norovirus is nausea. Other common symptoms include:
- Vomiting
- Stomach pain
- Abdominal cramps
- Watery or loose diarrhea
- Feeling unwell and lethargic
- Fever and chills, which are usually mild
- Body aches
- Headaches
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When symptoms are present in the human body, people can feel very ill and vomit many times a day.
The symptoms usually last 1–3 days and appear between 12 and 48 hours after the initial infection. However, in some cases, diarrhea may last longer than 3 days.
It is important to recognize that the virus can still spread through the stool and vomit even after the symptoms have resolved.
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Can you have norovirus without fever?
Typical symptoms of norovirus infection include diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain, but having a low-grade fever is uncommon while having this infection.
Symptoms of the virus usually begin 1 or 2 days after ingesting the virus and may appear in the early 12 hours after exposure; you can also have it with no fever at all.
What are the causes of norovirus?
The Health and Human Service Department has suggested the following common causes of norovirus infections:
- Contaminated foods
- Shellfish
- Ready-to-eat foods, such as salads, cookies, fruit, and sandwiches, have handled a worker with a norovirus infection.
- Consuming food that contains particles of the feces or vomit of a person with norovirus infection.
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No specific therapy exists for noroviral infections. Instead, doctors try to prevent dehydration and control symptoms.
Fasting will not speed up recovery. Instead, people with norovirus should eat a bland diet that is easy to digest, such as rice, bread, soups, and pasta.
A person needs to ensure that they replace the fluids. Replacing fluids in young children and older adults is very critical, as people in these age groups are susceptible to dehydration that comes on rapidly.
Some people find it beneficial to take oral rehydration fluids, including Infalyte, Kao Electrolyte, Naturalyte, Oralyte, and Pedialyte.
Dehydration can be sudden and life-threatening. People with dehydration may need to receive fluids intravenously.
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What is blood type immune to norovirus?
Based on blood type, norovirus may not be able to attach itself to the blood cells. For the norovirus to attach to the cells, a molecule called the H1-antigen needs to be present in your blood.
Based on this detail, people with a B blood type are immune to norovirus resistance, while the other blood types can become sick from the norovirus.
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Risk factors
The following risk factors can increase a person’s likelihood of becoming infected by norovirus:
- Having a weak immunity. Such as people who have sustained an organ transplant and people living with HIV.
- Living in a house whose members do not correctly maintain food hygiene.
- Living with a child who attends a preschool or child care center.
- Staying in a hotel or vacation resort where many people can engage with each other.
- Living in a nursing home, hospital, or retirement center.
After a norovirus infection usually lasts for about 2–3 years.
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Prevention
The best way to prevent the infection of noroviruses is to maintain proper food hygiene. Therefore, good hand hygiene and food cleaning are important for preventing norovirus infection.
Noroviruses can survive in cold temperatures, as well as in high temperatures of 140°F or 60°C. Some people can even develop an infection after eating cooked shellfish.
The following steps will help to reduce a person’s risk of norovirus infection:
- Hand washing
- Cleaning surfaces
- Avoiding risky foods
- Removing infected feces and vomiting
- Washing bad clothes
- Keeping the toilet seat down
- Staying at home
- Using disposable towels
- Taking care when traveling
Hospitals and other healthcare facilities also play a role in preventing infection. Therefore, they should focus on methods to limit the spread of the virus, such as isolating people with an infection.
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Conclusion
If you get the norovirus, you can feel ill for about 1 to 3 days. Some people may take longer to recover.
There’s no treatment for this virus. However, it’s important to see your doctor or healthcare provider immediately if severe or persistent symptoms. Your doctor can help to create a plan for managing your symptoms.
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