Southern California Hit by Norovirus

What is the norovirus? A NOROVIRUS IS A VIRUS THAT CAN CHANGE AS MOST VIRUSES CAN. YOU CAN HAVE A CERTAIN NOROVIRUS THAT CAUSES GASTROENTERITIS AND GET A DIFFERENT NOROVIRUS WHICH CAN AGAIN CAUSE GASTROENTERITIS. THERE IS NO MEDICATION THAT WILL PREVENT THIS. THE BEST THING TO DO IS NOT GET IT TO BEGIN WITH. THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT THING ONE CAN DO TO PREVENT CONTRACTING NOROVIRUSES AND MANY OTHER ILLNESSES IS SO SIMPLE: WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY- BEFORE EATING, BEFORE TOUCHING YOUR FACE, AND AFTER ANY EXPOSURE TO HAND SHAKING, TOILETING... YOU GET THE IDEA. IT MAYBE TIRESOME AND SOUND TOO EASY TO DO IN ORDER TO AVOID MANY ILLNESSES, BUT IT IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE.

How is it spread?

IT IS SPREAD BY CONTAIMINATED FOOD (THE CHEF WHO IS SHEDDING NOROVIRUS CELLS, WENT TO THE TOILET AND FAILED TO WASH HIS HANDS AFTER, HAD EVEN THE MOST MINISCULE AMOUNT OF FECES ON HIS FINGER TIPS, TOUCHED YOUR FOOD DURING PREPARATION CONTAMINATING IT WITH THE NOROVIRUS,YOU EAT THE FOOD, YOU GET SICK. OR SOMEONE ILL WITH NOROVIRUS TOUCHES SOMETHING WHICH YOU THEN TOUCH, THEN YOU DONOT WASH YOUR HANDS AND TOUCH YOUR FOOD AND INGEST THE NOROVIRUS AND YOU BECOME ILL. THE FECES AND VOMITUS OF A PERSON SICK WITH THE NOROVIRUS IS EXTREMELY LOADED WITH NOROVIRUS CELLS AND IF ONE DOES NOT TAKE PRECAUTIONS WHEN CLEANING SAME ONE CAN EASILY CONTRACT AND SPRED THIS DISEASE. ONE SHOULD ALSO DISINFECT NOT JUST THE AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN CONTAMINATED WITH FECES OR VOMITUS, BUT ONE MUST DISINFECT ALL SUFACES SUCH AS COUNTERTOPS, HANDLES, FAUCETS, FLOORS, ETC.

What are the symptoms?

NAUSEA, VOMITING MAYBE MILD OR SEVERE AND SEVERAL TIMES, DIARRHEA, ABDOMINAL CRAMPING, IF FEVER IT IS USUALLY LOW, IF VOMITTING AND HAVING FREQUENT BOUTS OF DIARRHEA ONE MAY BECOME DEHYDRATED WHICH CAN CAUSE MORE NAUSEA. SOMETIMES ACHES, PAINS, HOT, COLD. ONE FEELS MISERABLE.

How deadly is it?

IF ONE HAS OTHER HEALTH ISSUES, IS IN POOR HEALTH OR IS VERY YOUNG OR ELDERLY THE SYMPTOMS AND COURSE OF THE DISEASE CAN BE MORE SEVERE AND CAUSE OTHER COMPLICATIONS. BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING ONE CAN RECOVER IN SHORT ORDER... 24 TO 48 HOURS OR SO.

What treatment is available?

ONLY SYMPTOMS CAN BE RELIEVED OR LESSENED WITH IV FLUIDS AND MEDS SUCH AS ANTIEMETICS (STOP YOU FROM FEELING AS NAUSEATED & VOMITING) SUCH AS COMPAZINE, ZOFRAN, ANZEMET AND OTHER ANTIEMETICS. ONE WILL BE TREATED ACCORDING TO SYMPTOMS AND SEVERITY OF SYMPTOMS AND COMPLICATIONS IF ANY, SUCH AS DEHYDRATION AND ELECTROLYTE IMBALANCES CAUSED BY FREQUENT VOMITING AND DIARRHEA. ONE MAY NEED NO TREATMENT AT ALL IF THEIR ILLNESS IS MILD AND SHORT. SYMPTOMS AND THEIR SEVERITY WILL VARY FOR EACH PERSON.

How many cases have there been in the United States? CANNOT EVEN IMAGINE... MANY CASES ARE UNREPORTED FOR VARIOUS REASONS.

In the world?

???

Has the disease spread outside the campuses listed?

I THINK IT IS REASONABLE TO SAY YES IT DID...

HOPE THIS HELPS. STAY HEALTHY!

FMTFFRN of FL 4:36PM January 06, 2009