Norovirus

Norovirus (or winter vomiting disease) is a common cause of gastroenteritis.[1][6]

Norovirus
Other names	Winter vomiting bug,[1] stomach bug
Transmission electron microscope image of Norwalk virus. The white bar = 50 nm
Medical specialty	Emergency medicine, pediatrics
Symptoms	Diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, headache[2]
Complications	Dehydration[2]
Usual onset	12 to 48 hours after exposure[2]
Duration	1 to 3 days[2]
Causes	Norovirus[3]
Diagnostic method	Based on symptoms[3]
Prevention	Hand washing, disinfection of contaminated surfaces[4]
Treatment	Supportive care (drinking sufficient fluids or intravenous fluids)[5]
Frequency	685 million cases per year[6]
Deaths	200,000 per year[6][7]

It causes non-bloody diarrhea (enteritis), vomiting, and stomach pain.[2] Drinking lots of water is recommended[2] to replace fluids lost from diarrhea and vomiting.

Risk factors include unsanitary food preparation.[3] Diagnosis is generally based on symptoms.[3]

Wash hands often and properly. Disinfect contaminated surfaces.[4] There is no vaccine or specific treatment for norovirus.[4][5]

Norovirus results in about 685 million cases of disease and 200,000 deaths globally a year.[6][7] It is common.[3][8]

Those under the age of five are most often affected, and in this group it results in about 50,000 deaths in the developing world.[6] Norovirus infections occur more commonly during winter months.[6] It often occurs in outbreaks, especially among those living in close quarters.[3] In the United States, it is the cause of about half of all foodborne disease outbreaks.[3] The virus is named after the city of Norwalk, Ohio, US where an outbreak occurred in 1968.[9][10]