Li Meng, Chief of the Food Section of Tonghua Center for Disease Control and Prevention
"Health Lecture Hall" invites Li Meng, a member of the Jilin Provincial Health Science Popularization Expert Database and Chief of the Food Section of Tonghua CDC, to give a special lecture on "Norovirus - the Main Culprit of Acute Gastroenteritis Infection".
1. What is norovirus?
NOROVIRUS, ALSO KNOWN AS NORWALK VIRUSES (NV), IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSATIVE AGENT OF ACUTE GASTROENTERITIS,--- WHICH IS GENETICALLY DIVERSE AND HIGHLY VARIATED, WITH NEW MUTATIONS EMERGING EVERY FEW YEARS. According to the difference in capsid protein gene sequence, norovirus can be divided into 10 gene groups, (G1-Gx) with G1 and G2 gene groups being the most common infection. Norovirus infection usually presents as a self-limiting disease with a good prognosis.
2. Characteristics of norovirus infection:
1. Highly contagious: Norovirus can be transmitted through physical contact, water sources, food, breathing, etc.
2. Strong group outbreak: most of them are collective attacks, and crowded places such as kindergartens and schools are especially prone to group outbreaks.
3. Children are susceptible to infection: preschool children are particularly susceptible to norovirus infection, and the detection rate of norovirus is as high as 15% among children with diarrhea under 5 years of age in mainland China.
4. No specific drug or vaccine: There is no specific drug or vaccine against norovirus.
5. Strong self-limiting: Norovirus has obvious self-limiting, that is, it will get better on its own after two or three days, and parents do not need to panic too much.
3. Incubation period and main symptoms of norovirus infection:
The incubation period of norovirus is generally 24~48 hours, with the shortest being 12 hours and the longest being 72 hours. The most common symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, nausea, and stomach pain, while others include fever, headache, and body aches. Most patients recover within 1 to 3 days of onset. The onset of norovirus infection is mainly mild, the most common symptoms are diarrhea and vomiting, followed by nausea, abdominal pain, headache, fever, chills and muscle aches, etc., the course of norovirus infection cases is usually short, the average duration of symptoms is 2-3 days, preschool children show more vomiting, and adults are mainly diarrhea symptoms. The stool is yellow, watery, ranging from several to more than a dozen times a day, without pus, blood and mucus. In addition, symptoms such as headache, chills, and muscle pain may be seen, and in severe cases, dehydration may occur. Norovirus has a long course of illness and shedding, and remains contagious two days after the illness disappears. The immune period is brief and may recur. Therefore, it is recommended that schools and parents take another norovirus test 2 days after the child's symptoms disappear, and if it is negative, it can only be enrolled in school, so as to avoid secondary infection causing mass infection.
4. Prevention and control of norovirus infection:
At present, there are no specific antiviral drugs and vaccines for norovirus, and non-pharmacological preventive measures are mainly used for prevention and control, including case management, hand hygiene, environmental disinfection, food and water safety management, risk assessment and health education. These measures apply not only to the management of clusters and outbreaks, but also to the prevention and control of sporadic cases.
Norovirus can spread quickly through contaminated water, food, items, etc., so it is important to practice good personal hygiene, food and environmental hygiene!
1. Pay special attention to personal hygiene habits, such as washing hands frequently, especially before eating, cooking, and going to the toilet, and be sure to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water.
2. Toys, stationery and daily necessities that children come into contact with should be cleaned and disposed of.
3. Open windows for ventilation and do more outdoor activities.
4. When sneezing, use a handkerchief or cleaning paper towel, do not wipe directly with your hands.
5. Ensure children's sleep, rest well, and improve body resistance.
Broadcast frequency: Jilin News Comprehensive Radio FM91.6 \AM738
Column: "Health Lecture Hall"
Broadcast time: Saturday and Sunday 17:00-17:30
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Article source: Original Jilin News Comprehensive Broadcasting
Image source: Reprinted from Tonghua Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Editor: Zi Xin
Review: Huai Nan
Producer: Zhao Min, Zhong Xiao
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