Navigating Norovirus

Insights Into Stomach Bug Outbreaks

Outbreaks of a contagious “stomach bug” called norovirus can spread quickly. It often crops up in cruise ships, nursing homes, and other crowded places. People of any age can become infected with a norovirus. But the very old and young children are more likely to become very sick.

Noroviruses can affect your stomach and intestines. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. You may also have a fever, headache, and body aches. Once you’re infected with a norovirus, symptoms usually develop 12 to 48 hours later.

Noroviruses are the main cause of vomiting, diarrhea, and foodborne illnesses in the United States. Nearly half a million people with a norovirus visit the emergency department each year.

You can get infected with a norovirus from direct contact with an infected person or from contaminated food, water, or surfaces. You can also be exposed to the virus from an infected person’s stool or vomit.

Your doctor can usually make a norovirus diagnosis based on your symptoms. But testing for norovirus can be done at a health care facility using lab tests.

No treatment has been approved for noroviruses. So, doctors usually treat the symptoms and try to limit the spread. They can prescribe medicines to stop vomiting and relieve nausea. They may also give you fluids for dehydration. Prescription and over-the-counter medicines are available to treat diarrhea.

Healthy adults usually recover from the illness in a few days. But if you have a weakened The body’s defense against germs and foreign substances. immune system, the illness can last longer and become life-threatening.

No vaccines have been approved to protect people from getting a norovirus. But some are being developed and tested in people.

NIH-funded researchers are now studying the virus using tiny 3D models of human intestines. These are called “mini-guts.” Scientists can expose these intestinal cells to noroviruses in the lab. After infecting a mini-gut, the virus begins to make copies of itself.

“This process allows us to study the cells’ responses to infection and test potential antivirals that can block the infection,” says Dr. Robert Atmar, an infectious disease expert at Baylor College of Medicine.

Researchers are also looking for the specific proteins that the viruses use to enter cells. These are called cell receptors. Atmar and Dr. Mary Estes, who studies stomach viruses at Baylor College of Medicine, are trying to identify the cell receptor for a new strain of norovirus. It’s currently spreading around the world.

“Identifying the receptor should help us learn more about the disease and strategies to prevent it,” Estes explains.

In the meantime, if you have norovirus symptoms, doctors recommend staying home for 48 hours. It’s best to avoid contact with others if you can. See the Wise Choices box for more tips.