Pathogen: Norovirus - bacteria

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Symptoms

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting (Children may experience more vomiting than adults)
• Nausea
• Stomach cramps
• Headache
• Low-grade fever
• Muscle aches
• Sudden onset of symptoms

Start of symptoms / how long they last

Symptoms usually

• start within 1 to 2 days after exposure
• last 24 to 48 hours

Most people recover completely from the illness within 72 hours.

How you can get sick

• By eating or drinking food or beverages contaminated with norovirus
• Through cross-contamination when you are preparing food
• By touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus, and then placing your hand in your mouth
• By caring for or having direct contact with a person infected with norovirus
• Norovirus is usually in the feces or vomit of people who are infected with the virus.

Potential health impacts

• Severe illness or hospitalization is very rare in healthy adults.
• Infection can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea, which could lead to dehydration. This is more likely in the very young, adults 60 years and older and those with weakened immune systems.

Food commonly associated

• Contaminated or untreated drinking water
• Shellfish, especially raw or improperly steamed clams and oysters that were harvested from contaminated waters

How to protect yourself

• Wash your hands after using the washroom and changing diapers, and before preparing or eating food.
• Avoid raw shellfish. Cook it thoroughly before eating it, especially clams and oysters.
• Wash raw vegetables thoroughly before eating.
• Make sure to thoroughly clean any vomit and/or feces with soapy water and disinfect with a bleach solution immediately after illness.
• Immediately remove and wash clothing or linens that may be contaminated with the virus.

Food Safety Tip

Put back packs on the floor, not the counter. Keep everything in the kitchen clean.

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