What are the symptoms and causes of infection with norovirus? In many cases the infections are more likely mild & pass in a few days. That’s why many people with infection don’t see their doctor to get the right diagnosis! You may realize that you get infection if the same individuals who eat the same food are also ill.
Therefore, it is important to understand and know more about symptoms and causes infection with norovirus so thus you will get diagnosis and treatment immediately. If you go to your doctor immediately once you feel the symptoms, then you will get the right diagnosis to get the proper treatments and quit from the infection quickly.
Generally, the doctor will do the diagnosis based on physical exam, medical history and symptoms that you feel. She/he may also ask to you about the last food that you eat, and whether anyone who eats the same foods then feels the same symptoms! (Before continuing to read this article, you may also like to read the previous article about how to prevent infection with noroviruses)
How about the symptoms?
Some common symptoms or signs of gastroenteritis triggered by norovirus are; belly (abdominal) pain, vomiting, diarrhea, & nausea! At the same time, you may feel also dehydration, which may caused by vomiting or diarrhea. Then you may also fever of less than ‘37.8 degrees of Celsius’ or ‘100 degrees of Fahrenheit’, and at the same time you will feel headache!
About 48-24 hours after you drink the contaminated water or eat the contaminated foods, a mild & bread illness will develop, and lasts for 60-24 hours! In a few case (rare case), people with infection will get very sick and even must be evacuated to the hospital immediately.
How about the causes of infection with norovirus?
Generally, the contaminated foods and drinking liquids are typically objects for norovirus to spread. Moreover, the spread of this virus also can pass from one individual to another individual (norovirus is very contagious).
So, we may become infected by norovirus from:
- Consuming drinking water or foods that are contaminated with norovirus! Some of the most contaminated foods are salad & shellfish ingredients. And the food handlers are one of the frequent causes that can contaminate the food other than shellfish!
- Accidentally touching the contaminated objects or surfaces with norovirus! After touching with your hands then you may touch your mouth with your hands.
- Like mentioned before this virus can spread from person to person. Therefore, if you have direct contact with a certain individual who is infected then your risk to get also infection is higher.
In addition, you should pay more special attention (particularly to residents or children who have norovirus illness) if you working in nursing homes or day care centers! Because norovirus is often easily to spread rapidly in these environments!
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