Norovirus

Noroviruses are a group of genetically diverse RNA-viruses that cause gastroenteritis, which is the inflammation of the stomach and the large intestine lining. The virus was initially known as the Norwalk virus after Norwalk, a town in Ohio, which first recorded an outbreak in 1972. In the UK it is known as the “winter vomiting bug” as it tends to spread more easily in winter, when people are more likely to spend time indoors in proximity to each other.

Noroviruses are sometimes referred to as food poisoning but it must be noted that they are not always a result of food contamination; also, they are wrongly referred to as ‘stomach flu’ despite not being the influenza virus. Although Noroviruses thrive on cruise ships they also thrive very well in restaurants, day-care centers, nursing homes, and other close spaces. Norovirus are very hardy as they can survive extreme temperatures on land and water; they are also highly contagious!