gastrointestinal disease in Sudbury due to Norovirus

NOROVIRUS PRESENT

There is an occurrence of gastrointestinal disease in Sudbury and Manitoulin districts and laboratory results have confirmed the presence of Norovirus, says the Sudbury and District Health Unit.

Norovirus, also known as Norwalk and Norwalk-like viruses, refers to a family of viruses present in the stool and vomit of infected people. They are spread primarily through person-to-person contact or contamination of food prepared by a person who is ill or has been recently ill and did not wash their hands properly.

Symptoms have a sudden onset and can include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, body aches, and sometimes fever. People typically become ill 24 to 48 hours after exposure, and symptoms usually last one to two days. You can continue to spread the virus for up to several days after symptoms stop.

Thorough hand-washing with liquid soap and water is the best way to prevent the spread of infection.

For more information on the virus, visit www.sdhu.com.