Norovirus infection in Guangdong province
New Delhi: Norovirus infection has been confirmed in 103 students of a senior high school in Foshan city of Guangdong province in southern China. Local health officials gave information about this on Saturday. It is a matter of relief that the condition of all the students is stable and no one has lost their lives.
Norovirus is a common virus that causes acute stomach illness called gastroenteritis. Its infection usually causes vomiting and diarrhea. The students, from Xinghui Middle School, recently fell ill, and preliminary investigations found norovirus to be the cause of their illness.
The condition of all 103 students is now stable. The school premises have been completely disinfected. The health of the students is being continuously monitored and their attendance is being regularly checked. An epidemiological survey is also underway. The Disease Control Department of Guangdong Province said that there is a high outbreak of norovirus here every year from October to March.
Norovirus is a virus group that causes severe vomiting and diarrhea. The disease spreads rapidly from person to person, especially during the colder months. It is considered the leading cause of food-borne diseases in America.
There are an estimated 685 million norovirus cases each year, including 200 million cases in children under 5 years of age. This disease kills about 2 lakh people every year, of which about 50 thousand are children. Its greatest impact is seen in poor countries, causing increased health care costs and economic losses. The global cost of norovirus is estimated to be approximately $60 billion.
The first major outbreak of norovirus occurred in 1968 in a school in Norwalk city of America, due to which it became known as ‘Norwalk virus’. This virus causes a stomach illness, which many people incorrectly call ‘stomach flu’, whereas the true flu is a respiratory illness.
Typically, norovirus outbreaks occur most frequently in countries above the equator between November and April, while in countries below the equator it occurs between April and September. There is no definite season for its spread in the countries around the equator.
Comments are closed.