JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – You don’t often hear a lot about norovirus, a virus that affects the stomach, but according to a Baptist Health emergency room doctor, they are seeing more cases.
Emergency room doctor Victoria Helow told News4JAX that on Tuesday, she treated an entire family diagnosed with a severe case of norovirus. She also said that same night, several kids and adults with similar symptoms of norovirus showed up at the ER.
Baptist Health Medical Director of Infectious Diseases Dr. Shalika Katugaha told News4JAX that norovirus is commonly known as a stomach bug.
“It’s the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis which is inflammation of the stomach and large intestines,” said Katugaha, adding that norovirus is easy to catch and spread. “How it spreads is if you touch feces or vomit of someone who has the infection, which can be as easy as a handshake, touching an elevator button that an infected person has pressed, or as easy as getting it from contaminated food.”
Katugaha said symptoms of norovirus usually pass within three days, but there are times when a person with the virus should seek emergency care.
“Symptoms that should prompt you to go see a doctor, especially if it’s been more than several days are blood in your stool, severe stomach pains, or signs of dehydration,” Katugaha said.
Although the prescription medication, Zofran is used to help infected patients deal with vomiting and nausea, there is no cure for norovirus which means the virus has to run its course before it’s completely out of a person’s system.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, Norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting, diarrhea, and foodborne illnesses in the U.S. People of all ages can be infected and become sick from the virus. The incubation period is between 12 and 24 hours. The virus can last for days on surfaces.
According to the CDC, an infected person can shed billions of norovirus particles that can only be seen under a microscope. It only takes a few particles to make people sick.
To prevent the spread of norovirus, medical experts advise people to thoroughly wash their hands because hand sanitizers alone do not work well on the virus. People who are sick are advised not to prepare, handle food or care for others.
The CDC advises people to wash their hands:
- After using the toilette, or changing a baby’s diapers.
- Before eating, preparing, or handling food.
- Before giving yourself or someone else medication.
When it comes to handling or preparing food:
- Fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed.
- Oysters and other shellfish should be thoroughly cooked at an internal temperature higher than 145 degrees.
- Kitchen utensils, cutting boards, and kitchen countertops should be routinely cleaned and sanitized, especially after handling shellfish.
- Raw oysters should be kept away from ready-to-eat food in the grocery cart.
Be aware that:
- Norovirus can survive temperatures as high as 145 degrees
- A quick steaming process may not heat foods enough to kill norovirus.
- Foods contaminated with norovirus will look, smell, and taste normal.
- Foods suspected of being exposed to norovirus should be thrown away.
When it comes to cleaning and disinfecting surfaces:
- Wear rubber gloves or disposable gloves and wipe the entire surface area.
- Use a chlorine bleach solution or EPA-registered disinfecting product known to kill norovirus on surfaces.
- Leave bleach disinfectant on the surface for at least five minutes before washing and wiping the surface.
- Clean the same area once more with regular soap and hot water.
According to the National Institutes of Health, although there are no approved norovirus vaccines, recent human clinical trials with virus-like particle-based vaccines have shown promise.
Encore Research Group, which is over the Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research, The St. Johns Center for Clinical Research, and the Westside Center for Clinical Research has an upcoming phase-three norovirus vaccine trial coming up. Phase one and two for safety and efficacy have already passed for adults. The vaccine trial will be held at both the St. Johns and Westside clinical research facilities. The vaccine the facilities are researching was developed by the Moderna pharmaceutical company.
Anyone interested in taking part in the clinical trial for the norovirus vaccine can contact Encore Research Group at 904-730-0101 for more eligibility information and when the trial will begin.