Preventing Norovirus Outbreaks

Centers for Disease Control

ASK: What is norovirus?

ANSWER: Norovirus is a highly contagious

virus that can be transmitted through

contaminated food, water, or surfaces.

ASK: What are the symptoms of norovirus?

ANSWER: Norovirus usually causes diarrhea,

vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. It may also cause fever, headache, and body aches. If you have norovirus illness, you can feel extremely ill, and vomit or have diarrhea many times a day. This can lead to dehydration (loss of body fluids), especially in young children, older adults, and people with other illnesses. A person usually

develops symptoms 12 to 48 hours after being exposed to norovirus.

ASK: How common is norovirus?

ANSWER: Norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea from acute gastroenteritis

among people of all ages in the United States. Each year it causes 19 to 21 million illnesses. Of these people 109,000 are hospitalized and 900 persons, mostly adults aged 65 and older, die.

ASK: Is norovirus a common foodborne illness?

ANSWER: Yes, norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States. It causes 58% of all foodborne illness.

ASK: Is there a particular time of year when norovirus is most common?

ANSWER: Yes, norovirus cases peak each year between December and March. That is

why norovirus is sometimes referred to as the “winter vomiting disease”.

ASK: If you get norovirus, will you then have immunity from getting it again?

ANSWER: You can get norovirus illness many times in your life because there are many

different types of noroviruses. Infection with one type of norovirus may not protect you

against other types. It is possible to develop protection against specific types, but it is

not known exactly how long that protection lasts. This may explain why so many people

of all ages get infected during norovirus outbreaks.

ASK: What causes norovirus?

ANSWER: You can get norovirus by accidentally getting tiny particles of feces (poop) or vomit in your mouth from a person infected with norovirus. If you get norovirus illness, you can shed billions of norovirus particles that you can’t see without a microscope. It only takes a few norovirus particles to make you and other people sick.

ASK: How does norovirus spread through contaminated surfaces?

ANSWER: Norovirus spreads through sick people and contaminated surfaces when:

• A person with norovirus touches surfaces with their bare hands.

• Food, water, or objects that are contaminated with norovirus are placed on

  surfaces.

• Tiny drops of vomit from a person with norovirus spray through the air, landing on

  surfaces or entering another person's mouth.

• A person with norovirus has diarrhea that splatters onto surfaces

  
  

ASK: How does norovirus spread through food?

ANSWER: Norovirus can spread through contaminated food when:

• A person with norovirus touches food with their bare hands.

• Food is placed on a counter or surface that has feces or vomit particles on it.

• Tiny drops of vomit from a person with norovirus spray through the air and land on the food.

• Food is grown with contaminated water (like oysters), or fruit and vegetables are watered with contaminated water in the field.

ASK: What should a food establishment employee do if they develop symptoms of norovirus such as vomiting or diarrhea?

ANSWER: They should immediately tell their supervisor. They should then immediately go home and not come back to work until at least 24 hours (preferably 48 hours) after they no longer have symptoms of norovirus.

ASK: What four things should a food establishment do to reduce the chances of a norovirus outbreak among patrons or employees?

ANSWER: Doing these four things will greatly reduce the chances of a norovirus outbreak:

• Always send sick employees home immediately

• Be sure that employees wash their hands frequently and thoroughly

• Be sure that ready-to-eat foods are never handled with bare hands.

• Use utensils or gloves when handling ready-to-eat foods

• Clean and sanitize food contact surfaces often

• Send sick employees home immediately!

ASK: What if someone vomits or has a diarrheal incident in your food establishment?

ANSWER: Every food establishment must have a written procedure on how to clean up after an incident of vomiting or diarrhea. There must also be a cleanup kit. All employees should be trained in the procedure so that the cleanup can be done safely.

The above information is courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For further information see: https://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/index.html