New Strain of Norovirus - the Winter Vomiting Bug - On the Rise
A new norovirus strain was detected last year in Australia and has reached the United States.
Although the flu is on everyone’s minds this season, the winter vomiting bug, or the norovirus, is making its rounds. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the norovirus causes about 70,000 hospitalizations and 800 deaths each year, mostly in young children and the elderly. Some of the virus' common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pains. The CDC points out that the norovirus is often referred to as the stomach flu, but it is unrelated to influenza. So far, there have not been any reports of the norovirus in Reading or North Reading, according to the Health Departments in both towns. A new norovirus strain, GII.4 Sydney, was detected last year in Australia. The strain hit the U.K. …
John Intorcio
4:54 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
It’s important to note that alcohol based hand sanitizers, like Purell, can kill many types of germs, they have limited or even no effect against Norovirus. Soap and water is much more effective. If you don’t have access to soap and water, sanitizers based on benzalkonium chloride (BAC) are likely most effective. There are also new disinfectants based on a combination of BAC and the antimicrobial… more ›