What Is Norovirus? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

诺洛病毒is a highly contagious virus that causes more than half of all foodborne illnesses in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (1) It’s also the leading cause in the United States of a type of stomach illness called acutegastroenteritis（胃和肠炎的炎症），导致呕吐和腹泻。（1）

诺洛病毒可以通过受污染的食物或水分传播到人，或者当一个人接触污染的表面并将病毒转移到他们的嘴里时。

而诺瓦克病毒通常被称为stomach flu, it is not, in fact, related to the seasonal flu, which is caused by theinfluenzavirus, and it is not related to the virus that causesCOVID-19。Other names for norovirus include “food poisoning” and a “stomach bug,” notes the CDC. (2)

这symptoms of acute gastroenteritis from norovirus typically develop 12 to 48 hours after catching the virus and last for about one to three days. (2) Some of the most common symptoms include:

• 腹泻
• Stomach pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fever
• 头痛
• Body aches

腹泻和呕吐也可能导致一些人变脱水，特别是孩子，老年人和其他疾病的人。这symptoms of dehydration包括：

• Decreased urination
• 口干
• 喉咙干燥
• Dizziness when standing up
• 孩子们哭泣和肖恩

It’s also possible to have norovirus but not show any signs of symptoms of the illness, notes the Mayo Clinic. (3)

诺洛病毒is found in the feces andvomitof people who’ve been infected in the virus. People get norovirus by accidentally ingesting tiny amounts of these feces or vomit, which can be found on unwashed food, in contaminated water, or on a contaminated surface.

People with the infection can release billions of norovirus particles; it only takes a small amount of those particles to make someone sick, according to the CDC. (4)

特别是，诺罗维病毒可以通过：

• 吃含有诺罗病毒的食物或饮用液体（例如，在受污染的水中种植的食物）
• Touching an object or surface that’s been contaminated with norovirus, then touching your mouth
• Having direct contact — such as sharing food or utensils — with a person who has norovirus
• Drinking contaminated water from a well or from a pool that isn’t properly cleaned

More than half of all norovirus outbreaks in the United States occur in long-term care facilities, notes the CDC. (5）爆发也发生在医院，餐馆和餐饮活动中。约有1％的诺维病毒爆发出现在游轮上。（5）

A doctor can usually diagnose norovirus based on a person’s symptoms.

诺洛病毒can also be detected in a stool sample. If you have an underlying health issue or weakened immune system, your doctor may want to order a stool test.

Prognosis of Norovirus

Most people will recover from norovirus without needing any treatment, but older adults, small children, and people with underlying medical conditions can be more susceptible to dehydration, and may therefore require medical treatment or even a hospital stay.

诺洛病毒usually lasts from one to three days.

虽然症状通常只持续几天，但人们的传染性要长得多。如果您在从感染恢复后，有些人可以在他们的粪便中脱落病毒周数 - 甚至几个月。（2）

Because there are many different types of norovirus, you can get sick from it many times. Some people might develop an immunity to some types of norovirus, but it’s not clear how long their immunity lasts.

一个人对诺罗维病毒的易感性部分地由其遗传学决定，注意到CDC。（6)

诺罗病毒感染没有具体治疗。如果您有感染，最好的行动方案是休息和饮用大量流体以防止脱水。

Sports drinks or other fluids that don’t have caffeine or alcohol in them may help with mild dehydration, but your best bet is to buy over-the-counter oral rehydration fluids.

If you aren’t able to drink enough liquid, or are more severely dehydrated, you may need to be given fluids intravenously, in a hospital.

药物选择

这re are no specific medicines that treat norovirus.

抗生素对诺罗病毒不起作用，因为他们只对抗细菌，而不是病毒。

根据CDC的说法，目前没有可用于诺洛病毒的疫苗。（7)

替代和互补疗法

If you’re struggling to keep food down, you might try eating bland foods, including: (2)

• Soup
• Bananas
• Potatoes
• Rice
• Crackers

Prevention of Norovirus

诺洛病毒is highly contagious, so it’s important to prevent the spread of the infection by following good卫生实践。有些步骤包括：

• 用肥皂和水洗手，特别是去洗手间或改变尿布后（手工清水剂不是洗手的替代品，因为根据UC健康，酒精并不像诺维病毒粒子的盾牌，根据UC健康。）（8)
• Washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating them
• Cooking seafood (such as oysters or other shellfish) thoroughly
• Cleaning and disinfecting contaminated surfaces (with a bleach-based household cleaner)
• Washing laundry thoroughly and handling soiled items (such as from vomit) with rubber or disposable gloves
• Refraining from preparing food for others if you’re sick

Most people will recover from norovirus in a few days.

Some people, however, are more at risk for severe dehydration from norovirus, especially pregnant women or people who are older or have weakened immune systems. (2)

诺罗病毒负责美国所有食虫疾病的58％。每年大约有2,500个诺病毒爆发，其中大部分时间从11月到4月发生。（1）

According to the CDC, each year in the United States, norovirus causes an average of: (1)

• 19 to 21 million cases of acute gastroenteritis
• 2,270,000 outpatient visits (these are mostly young children)
• 465,000 emergency room visits (mostly young children)
• 109,000 hospitalizations
• 900 deaths

While anyone can get norovirus, there’s some research showing that Black Americans may not get the virus as often as white Americans.

A study published in January 2020 in the journal临床传染病found that African Americans were half as likely to be infected with norovirus as white Americans. (9) The authors hypothesized that this may be caused by genetic differences that are linked to a lower susceptibility to the infection.

诺罗病毒是美国食源性疾病最常见的原因，但这不是唯一的原因。其他最常见的原因包括：

• Salmonella
• Clostridium perfringens
• Campylobacter
• 葡萄球菌金黄色葡萄球菌

Favorite Organizations for Essential Information

For more information about norovirus, visit the following websites:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

了解更多关于诺瓦克病毒和其他主要原因s of foodborne illnesses — including how to prevent infection — at the CDC’s website.

National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID)

这NFID is a nonprofit organization that’s committed to educating the public about infectious diseases.