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Norovirus

8 questions ยท Health & Medicine

Norovirus is probably the most common trigger of gastrointestinal infections worldwide and notorious for the violent, suddenly starting symptoms it causes. Hardly any other pathogen is so contagious: just a few virus particles are enough to make someone ill. Typical are projectile vomiting and watery diarrhoea, often accompanied by nausea, abdominal cramps and slight fever. The symptoms usually begin very abruptly and last only one to two days: unpleasant for healthy adults, but rarely dangerous; for small children and older people, however, the loss of fluid can become a problem. Norovirus spreads as a smear infection via the hands, through contaminated food and even through the finest droplets flung into the air during vomiting. Because it jumps so easily from person to person, outbreaks occur especially often where many people live closely together: in care homes, hospitals, kindergartens, barracks and again and again on cruise ships. There is no vaccine, and because many common hand sanitisers barely kill the virus, thorough hand washing with soap is the best protection. So norovirus remains, above all in winter, a regular, uninvited guest.

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4 of 8 questions with answers

Which part of the body does norovirus attack?

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The gastrointestinal tract

It causes gastroenteritis.

๐Ÿ’ก Did you know? It has nothing to do with real influenza.

Which two violent symptoms are typical of norovirus?

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Vomiting and diarrhoea

They usually begin very suddenly.

๐Ÿ’ก Did you know? After one to two days it is often over.

How contagious is norovirus?

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Extremely contagious

Just a few virus particles are enough.

๐Ÿ’ก Did you know? That is why it spreads rapidly.

In which place do norovirus outbreaks often occur?

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On cruise ships

Wherever many people are close together.

๐Ÿ’ก Did you know? Care homes and clinics are also often affected.

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