Norovirus

Norovirus is the most common cause of vomiting and diarrhea, and foodborne illness. The most common symptoms of norovirus are:

 diarrhea

 vomiting

 nausea

 stomach pain Other symptoms includes fever, headache, and body aches. Norovirus causes inflammation of the stomach or intestines. This is called acute gastroenteritis. A person usually develops symptoms 12 to 48 hours after being exposed to norovirus. Most people with norovirus illness get better within 1 to 3 days. If you have norovirus illness, you can feel extremely ill, and vomit or have diarrhea many times a day. This can lead to dehydration, especially in young children, older adults, and people with other illnesses.35 You can get norovirus by accidentally getting tiny particles of feces or vomit from an infected person in your mouth. This can happen through contaminated food and water, touching contaminated surfaces and then putting your fingers in the mouth, and having direct contact with someone that is infected with norovirus. If you get norovirus illness, you can shed billions of norovirus particles that you can’t see without a microscope. Only a few norovirus particles can make other people sick. You are most contagious

 when you have symptoms of norovirus illness, especially vomiting, and  during the first few days after you recover from norovirus illness. However, studies have shown that you can still spread norovirus for two weeks or more after you feel better.36 Children that are infected with norovirus should be excluded for 48 hours after becoming symptom free.